Friday, May 15, 2009

Paying My Respects

The last time I saw Lariann was about a year and a half ago. Skye was four months and Lucy was almost one. It was the same pale, skinny Lariann except a bit more extreme. The main difference was that her blond hair was gone--replaced by brown. She told me that it was common for hair to grow back darker after chemo. Then she started joking about how she and Lucy were bald at the same time. It was so like Lariann--even in the face of a tragedy, she was joking. It's the Lariann I remember. She was a happy, up-beat person. Of course, the Lariann I remember also didn't mind complaining. I can't even count how many times I heard her complain about the "leprechaun dance" the color guard had to do in the field show our junior year in high school. Even after Heather was gone and Darilyn had taken over and the color guard was kicking butt and taking their caption at every competition, she would still bitterly reminicse about it and I'd be thinking, "Okay, it's been a year, get over it!" (I hope everyone knows how much that memory makes me laugh now!) But when it came to her friends, it was a different story. At least I know anytime I had a problem or was having a hard time with something, Lariann would give me her happy, optomistic outlook on everything. Even though I didn't see her much after high school, I considered her a good friend. I am sad she is gone and I will miss her incredibly. Maybe it's because of the way she could always make me smile, or because she loved U2, Ireland, and dancing just like I do, or maybe just because I knew that she truly cared about me as a friend. Lariann was unforgettable. I know she'll always be in my memory. You're loved and will be missed, my friend.

4 comments:

Camille said...

I'm sorry for your loss of a friend. Always keep the memories of her close to your heart.

Jess said...

Lariann sure was a storyteller. I always loved her narrating the field shows, even the moves she hated. :) I remember her taking you aside to get some yelling out of your system in high school. Her compassion always stood out. Well put "respects." Her passing is still too surreal to me.

Mike and Tia Fam said...

This is was so sweet to read. I am sorry to hear such sad news about a good friend. Love ya!

Cookie said...

What a beautiful tribute, Tacy! Well done! Lariann's funeral was wonderful. Dean used some of your comments in his talk, and he's appreciative of that. It was a difficult thing for me, too, knowing Lariann's parents so well and knowing her good husband, Scott. She will be missed by many!