Remembering A Friend

It took a while for me to decide how to write this, asking myself what kind of tone should it have? What should I include? How should I even start this? Realizing this is a personal post, I just decided to write what was on my mind. While this post in this instance is about a friend who recently passed, I feel like these same thoughts in this post could be used for anyone who has lost someone close to them.


Amanda Cartier was truly a terrific and good natured person, seemingly always with a smile on her face. While we had drifted apart after high school, as can tend to happen, I would still consider her a friend. She was part of a network of people within the L.H.H.S marching band that helped to get me out of my shell.

I know that those close to her are now struggling with what to do now. The best thing that you can do is to simply live your life, but in a certain aspect. Do the most with your life in honor of her. Let her memory inspire you to go above and beyond, as she would have wanted.

At the moment it seems tough, to decide what to do next, how to go on. Personally, I've pondered how this could have happened. How could someone be taken so early in life, when they had so many goals to accomplish, so much more to strive for? We'll struggle through these thoughts, but as I did, just look up towards the sky, during a sunny day, with the sun illuminating behind the clouds, or during a sunrise or sunset, and know that she is safe looking down upon us. With every slight breeze, realize that  she'll always be with us, never to be forgotten.

I don't want to get too religious with this post, but Amanda now knows of a peace none of us can know. She knows all the peace that we can never find.

If you find yourself awake 2am, unable to sleep, just close your eyes and cherish the memories. The times during band camp…the bus rides…her smile. She'll always be with us through the memories that are left with us.


With that last point, I felt it was poignant to close this post with this: As time moves on, reflect on the memories, the ones that make you smile. Over the past week, we've all shed tears, and more will be shed over this tragic loss. But live on with her in spirit. Let her inspire you.

"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened" - Theodor Seuss Geisel


She made this world a better place. While time will move on, and we will get back to our daily tasks and schedules, we will never be quite the same.