In Memory of You...

I did a blog makeover recently and changed the entire look of my blog. When I finished, I looked at the new blog and I totally loved it, but I couldn't place the reason why I decided on the makeover until about 2 days ago.

About 8 years ago, I lost my dearest friend and I discovered that 8 years after, she still has a major effect on my lifestyle and so this post is in memory of Ashley and I'll try to tell as much as I know about her to anyone that cares to know.

Here goes:

Ash was by all standards the sweetest girl I knew, she always had something sweet and funny to say even in her worst moments. We met at this concert when we were much younger and we remained inseparable until she died.

Ash was born 9th of July and she was the first child of both her parents.

Ash loved to paint, design and draw; she had an obsession for papers, scissors pencils and colors. She could stay up all night just because she had something in her head she wanted to paint.

Ash hated school; she believed life was all about doing what you love and if it doesn't include going to school, then don't.

Ash also loved singing (although not as much as painting). Her best song till she died was Mercy Me's "I Can Only Imagine"

She had this strange fear of quiet places; she just couldn't stand being in a place that is perfectly quiet. In her own words, "It freaks me out; it makes me feel very choked"

Ash loved God with a very deep passion and she couldn't explain why.

Ashley lived with sickle cell anemia though and it wasn't difficult to know. She was smaller than her age and she was veryyyyyyyy thin. She was always ill and it could get so bad she'd have to stay in the hospital for days (one reason she liked this was because she didn't have to worry about school).

Generally, if Ash was well enough, you'd either find her painting, singing, sleeping or just going about the whole place trying to make people happy and making new friends alongside.

15th June 2002, Ashley had a crisis which eventually led to her death. All through her stay in the hospital though, she did what she knew how to do best-paint and make people laugh and of course singing “I can only imagine” with her sweet voice.

2nd July 2002, my dear friend passed on after her battle with the illness with one hand in her mom's hand, the other in her dad's and her had on my laps after singing her song with tears in her eyes.

Dear Ashley, it breaks my heart every time I remember you are not here anymore, but I'm glad you are in heaven where you don't have to imagine anymore. I hope what you imagined is what is over there. Thanks for being the best friend ever and for teaching me how to see the world in different shades of blue, pink, brown and red and yes, I'm still imagining and one day, I won't have to imagine anymore.

Your parents and siblings still miss you every day and your sister is painting too (I guess that runs in the blood)

I miss you more and I know that heaven is bursting with life with all the colors you have used over there.

I did the makeover for my blog because I remembered you and I hope you are proud of the designer I've become.

 I love you always and forever.