A Blog for Ashley

As a student at UTC (University of Tennessee at Chattanooga) I was fortunate to come across a number of individuals who would leave some sort of impact on my life.  One such person was Ashley Cox.  I had two (maybe even three) classes with Ashley.  She was the type of person that would FORCE you to have a good day no matter how horrible your day.  Talk about someone who able to find a silver lining...Ashley made it seem effortless.  I can recall several moments in class where Ashley would make a statement and have me almost in tears laughing.

Well, today I got a text message from a mutual friend and all I could think about what the fact for some reason I'll never understand, God decided to call her home.  If you don't know anything about me, I'll let you in on a little secret...I am THE MOST selfish person known to man.  With that being said, I started thinking about the fun moments I shared with Ashley and how I would no longer be able to share those moments.  I thought about the silly phone conversations I had with her and how I would no longer be able to hear her phone on the other line.  In the midst of my pity party, I had to stop and think about her mother and other family members.  Losing someone like Ashley hurts and hurts deep, but somehow I find comfort in knowing that one day I'll see her again.  The bible teaches us that our time here on this Earth is short and filled with trouble, heartache, problems, etc.  While people such as myself tend to get down and complain when we have a bad day, Ashley not only kept her head up during bad times, but was able to lift up the heads of those around her!

Ashley, you were truly the epitome of a good friend...I'll miss you, your silly laugh and jovial spirit.

Until we meet again....

This is not to be confused, this blog is for you...

I have this friend and while we've never spent a tremendous amout of time together, I must admit that she's stolen my heart.  Her hard work, dediciation and overall commitment to her life and career not only intrige me, but inspire me as well--which is one thing that I look for in a woman.  Every time we have a discussion, I light up on the inside with the thoughts of what we could be.  She's the first woman I've ever met who could provide vivid details when I ask the question, "So where do you see yourself 10 years from now."  As a friend, she is someone whom I've come to count on when I need a female's perspective on a certain subject.  Whether she knows it or not, I value and appreciate her opinion and value her perspective on those matter of which we've have discussions.

As I take time to truly sit back and reflect on our friendship, I must say that although she's a couple of years younger than I am, so reminds me of myself in a number of ways.  Although our careers have forced us to move away from our daily morning phone calls, I can honestly say that she crosses my mind at some point during each and every day.

Isn't it funny how someone can come into your life for a moment yet leave an impact that seems to be everlasting. 

Being a private person, I tend to keep such thoughts to myself, but since I'm trying to embrace the "blogger" lifestyle, I figured I must step outside of my comfort zone from time to time.