This past week I received news that a dear friend in LA was
struck and killed in a hit and run. The driver was caught within the hour;
found to be driving under the influence and charged with vehicular homicide.
Tragic and senseless!
I met Dahly two years ago in church. We were seated next to each other and exchanged a warm hug after
the worship service. The connection was immediate and sincere. Dahly was
accomplished, beautiful, intelligent, grounded, authentic, and had a heart for
God and anyone who crossed her path. We were drawn to each other’s energy and
passion for life and God. We would have lunch after church and prayed like the mamas we are over our boys. We referred to each other as forever sisters in Christ. We exchanged texts of encouragement when either was facing a difficult challenge and celebrated each others successes.
Dahly was pure love and light and I always looked forward to spending time with
her.
Upon receiving the news of Dahly’s untimely passing, I rushed to pull up her last text. It said “One day one of us may not be here and it will be too late to say I love you… So, I love you. Love ya, girl!” My reply was “Aw… sweetie. Thank you. I love you too. Have a wonderful day ahead.” I fell to the floor, intensely grief stricken and sobbed uncontrollably. It was chilling, cruelly ironic and ripped my heart wide open. How would she have known that within a few weeks her life would come to such a tragic end and that her words would have an immensely powerful and lasting impact? How would either of us know that these would be our last words to each other? Yet, despite them being our last, they are the most precious words you can share with another soul.
As I struggle to make sense of Dahly’s passing and navigate the waves of grief that pour over me, I am reminded once more of our incontestable mortality and the brevity of our journey here. None of us gets out of this alive. We all have an end date. It’s vital to live intentionally and fiercely in the dash of our birth and end dates. I am reminded, again, to love harder, hug longer, appreciate more deeply, forgive easily, live courageously and with greater purpose, relentlessly pursue my dreams, worry less, stay out of the shallow end of life's pool, and NEVER EVER let someone you love not know how much you love them.
I thank God for giving me the gift of Dahly and her beautiful effect on my soul. I am grateful to have experienced her words of love as well as her love in action. I will miss you, my dear friend and forever sister in Christ, and look forward to the day when I can warmly embrace you again!
