I just wanted to post my speech from her beautiful memorial for you all to read again if you'd like. :) (I strayed a bit from my "script", but this is what I had typed out in front of me that day).
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Carrisa was my best friend. We were 6 and 7 years old when we met. She's the one who had the great memory, not me. In fact, she remembers the day we met, and this year on October 25th she emailed me to jokingly wish me a "Happy 18th Anniversary". One thing I do remember is the first time I went to her house to play. We played a silly game of make believe in her back yard. I got to meet her huge family. I didn't know it would be the beginning of a rare type of friendship that a lot of people never get to experience.
We were basically inseperable since that day. We were in the same class all through elementary school and the same program for Jr. High School. In High school we got to choose our own classes, so of course we took almost all of the same ones. Even in college we were attached at the hip.
I have shared almost all of my life experiences with her. We grew up together. She was a sister to me. We went through everything together. I hugged her tight when she lost her brother 13 years ago. She loved my brother even when others didn't know how.
We eventually grew out of backyard make believe into things like boys, music, and individual interests. In High School we both became interested in YoungLife and our friendship deepend even more. We went on countless trips together to Woodleaf, mission trips to Mexico, and camping. We had a tight knit group of AWESOME friends who held us accountable in our Christian faith. Many of these friends had the privilege of being with her in her final moments here on earth.
After High School, we decided we'd move out of our parents' houses and into "adulthood". We were able to spend a year as roommates along with our friend Meghan. I think we knew that being roommates would be a test of our friendship, and we came out the other side of that realizing that we were more like family than just friends. We realized we could get through anything together, even if it was something that was really difficult for a while.
Carrisa stood next to me as my maid of honor on my wedding day. She held my bouquet while I shared vows with the love of my life. A few years later, I sat in the next room as she delivered the love of her life, Norah Olivia. After thousands of memories shared, we got to share the biggest, most important moments of our lives with each other.
Carrisa was such an amazing friend, not just to me but to everyone she knew. She invested time and love into so many people. She loved planning parties and playing games. She loved serving others. She was rarely seen without a smile on her face.
Most of all, she was an amazing Mother. She only got to spend 18 months with Norah, but she poured a lifetime of love into her. We want Norah to know her Mommy so we all need to tell her about Carrisa when she's old enough. We want her to know how much her Mommy loved her.
This week has been full of every emotion I could ever imagine. I have been so sad that my sister is gone. I have been grieving about events that haven't even happened yet that we're going to wish she was here for. I have been in disbelief that this is even real.
I have also experienced a joy and peace that could only come from God. Carrisa accepted Jesus into her heart at a very young age, and she kept that faith through the end of her life here on earth. I truly believe that she is now in heaven with her Savior. That is where the joy comes from. I know she is free of pain and worries and other earthly concerns. I also know she is planning a heck of a party for Jesus' birthday! I will miss her so much. Thank you, Carrisa, for sharing your life with me!
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Also, as we went through our pics to find some for the slideshow, I came across this note. It pretty much sums us up. :)
