Three years ago today I lost my best friend. In some ways it seems like yesterday. Her life was taken from her in an instant. In an act of rage and anger she was snuffed out. She fought hard—Kelly-Anne Drummond didn’t want to die. She had great plans for her life: travel, a career in radio or television production, a husband and kids one day, the ability to experience life’s simple pleasures, and eventually growing old, surrounded by her family and friends. But because of the actions of one person, she won’t ever get to accomplish any of those things.
Every day I struggle to figure out how to properly honor Kelly-Anne’s memory. I miss her so much, and I wish more than anything we could have the chance to talk one more time. If I could speak to her again, I’d tell her that I love her and thank her for being such a great friend to me for almost twenty years. I would tell her that nothing has really been the same since she died: I can’t swing by her house to say hi, or pick up the phone for a long chat, or open my e-mail and find a description of her latest adventures. Above all, I’d tell her I was sorry. Sorry that this happened, and sorry I couldn’t do more to help her see that the boy she was dating wasn’t right for her, and was in fact, downright dangerous.
I hope you will all remember Kelly-Anne this week. Do something to honor her memory in some way. And please, above all, try to help your loved ones who might be caught in a bad relationship. Things can go tragically wrong in an instant. Kelly-Anne certainly never thought she would wind up dead. Although Kell is gone, her legacy will live on forever through those who knew and loved her.
