10 years. It's now 2008. It's been 10 years. Darci would've been 28 today. Wow. It's sad, I try to update this every year, but there isn't anything to talk about. Not about Darci that is. I feel like it's all been said...But I can't say enough about her. Does that make sense? Anything new to add is with the world, with my own life. I wish she could've lived. But, that's not the way things work. I cut off my hair, donated 30" to Locks of Love. I also cleaned my garage and found another 24" that I'm going to donate. My life is not going well, this is probably the roughest year that I've had. I wish guess it's better than the alternative. I wish I could give this bad year to Darci, make it a good year for her. Maybe that's what I should do. Make it a good year, for Darci.

It's 2005 now, I know, I missed a year. We had a tough year, we lost somebody else who was very close to us, and it was all too fresh to come in here, and to write about somebody else that we lost, it was just too much to think about. I wonder what Darci would think about all of this, she's missed so much, I mean I'm sure she isn't missing any of it, but she isn't living it, she isn't experiencing it like we are. The world Trade Center Attacks in 2001, the war in Iraq...and who knows what else is to come. My hair is long again, I want to grow it longer, and I've vowed that this batch I will donate, they will probably be able to make like 5 wigs out of it. It's weird to think, how some of us have made our impression after we are dead, that's when we've made our biggest impact on society. That idea still gets me, it's like some famous artist who dedicated their whole life to their art, but was only recognized for it after they were dead. It's weird how some of us are born, just to die. It doesn't make sense. I don't know what I am, is my biggest impact to this world to happen with my death? It's a very morbid thought...I do have to say though, I have several friends on the other side now, and it almost makes death less scary. I mean I've never realy feared death, I don't want it to come, I like where I'm at, but it's very reassuring to know that I have a group of friends over there, waiting to welcome me into the next life. In a way, I look forward to seeing my friends again.


Five years...that's half of a decade. It hasn't gotten better, things are still hard, and I still cry here and there. Little things will set me off now, I am sensitive to little things. I remember 5 1/2 years ago, at a basketball game, talking with Darci and telling her that her hair was soo beautiful before she was diagnosed with cancer. But that I knew that it would grow back even prettier than before...I have always had very long hair. And like Darci, I always got a lot of comments on my hair. I had wanted to cut my hair for Darci, but it was not long enough when she was alive. My hair was so long, that last year it got to a point where I could sit on it. I thought about it, and come May I decided to try and make somebody's life better. I cut 2 1/2 feet of my hair off. I still have it. I was going to donate it, but I haven't yet. I want to make sure that the person who gets it is a cancer patient, I imagine someone just like Darci. And then I had a conversation with my mother a little while ago. We were talking about a coworker of hers who was currently undergoing cancer treatment. She said something along the lines of 'when I get cancer'. Which scares me...cancer is something that runs in my family, and to top it off, my mother grew up in Eastern Washington near the nuclear reactor plant that we all know as 'Hanford'. I remember when we used to get things in the mail that would ask my mother questions about how she lived as a child. Things like 'what formula did your mother use' and 'what supermarket did you buy your vegetables from' and things like that. I do believe that one of her older sisters has thyroid problems that could be connected to Hanford. This scares me...I don't want to see this again...so I took my hair, and I am saving it. I am currently growing it out again, It grows so fast I figure I'll just keep growing it out and cutting it...but I am going to keep that first batch of hair. Cancer is a major thing in our society, it affects millions upon millions of people. I want the person that I give this hair to, to be someone I know. Someone in my life, or someone who needs it. I want this person to be brought to me, someone blessed by my friends who are no longer with us. I want Darci to find this person, and bring this person to me. Whether it be my mother, or whether it be someone I know, or whether it be someone I meet, I want this person to be in my life for a reason, and I want to be in this persons life for a reason. Of course, if that makes sense...and I realize, this is how she's affected me now, she has affected me in so many ways. I have realized not only how short life is, but how wonderful and beautiful it is. She's taught me to embrace it, to enjoy it, to soak in everything. She's taught me that you don't have to live forever to become immortal...and she's taught me to be a better person, to be a good person, to make my life good, and to make the lives of others even better.


Four years have gone by. That's hard to believe. In that thyme, a child can go from a baby, helpless and unaware of itself much less the rest of the world, to a kindergartener, a young child on the verge of it's life, learning to read and write and the ways of life that we live every day. I have a friend, whose child is turning one on Tuesday February 27 of this year, I remember when she was born, the day after I went in and saw her, I held her in my arms, she was so tiny, but she's walking now. She's growing, she's learning she even has a favorite color, red. Also on the threshold of life, my boyfriend's cousin passed away on Saturday February 16, this last week. He was in his thirties, a firefighter, and he passed away of cancer. He was a firefighter, like the rest of his family. A processional of hundreds of firefighters from the local area accompanied his casket to it's resting place. Life is so fragile, and it's moments like these that we are reminded of that. It's moments like these that we're reminded that we are lucky to be alive, and that we should be thankful for this gift that has been given to us. My best friend turns 21 on February 23 of this month. Life is celebrated in many ways, it's celebrated with birthdays, with funerals, with memorials like this one. Darci, because of you I see these events in a different light. Because of you I look at life as though I were doing it for you, trying to get everything in. Darci you give us inspiration, inspiration to live our lives the best way we can, to see the world in the best way possible. Darci I see the world, the things I see, the sunset in the summer over Deception Pass, the view from Mt. Constitution and something as simple as springthyme, I see that for you. I soak those moments in, I soak in every ounce of color from that sunset as if I could show it to you. Things are happening in our world, things are changing, Darci I'm sure you've noticed. On September 11th you welcomed over 3000 people into your realm, people who just like you Darci, are currently changing the way that people look and think about things. On the History Channel, I just watched a documentary on natural mummies. These mummies were people who lived thousands of years ago, whose lives had zero to no impact on the rest of the world while they were alive. They effected the rest of the world more after they died, than when they were alive. Some people are like that, some people have this positive effect on people, but only after their thyme on earth is over. Some people are like that. They are so special, so precious to us, that they are remembered forever. So Happy Birthday Darci, how does immortality feel?









You'd think, after what seems like so long, the pain would go away, or it wouldn't hurt as much to think about it. But it doesn't...It's harder to remember, but when you do remember it, it's almost harder to bear it than the first time you heard about it. I work in jewelry, and the very first thing that I ever sold, was a gabriel angel cameo. She'd said that she was getting it for her daughter, because her daughter had lost her one year old son, and she spoke to me about how hard it was, and that even though it was two or three years ago that he'd passed away, it was still very alive, and very there in their family. They still remembered him, and she told me that it was still very hard to think about it...and I guess that I understand that. I'm not sure if I ever did before, but I really understand it now. There was a lady that I worked with, and her mother died, so we all pitched in and got her a card, and everyone put a spiritual message on it, you know, like people always do on those sympathy cards, well, I wrote on it something that my mother told me, when one of my friends died...God takes care of all the children...but you know what I believe? I believe that God takes care of everyone...





You hear that music?"
"No, what music?"
"Here, it should work now."
"Oh! Now I hear it! That's pretty, what is it?"
"It's called 'Friends Forever', it's the song that they played at her memorial service, we thought it to be fitting..."

A Special Birthday

It seems like just yesterday you left
So quickly you were taken from us,
One day you were here,
the other you were not,
This last year has been hard
The days that I've missed your hugs,
your smile, your laugh.
But you are no longer here and I have had to get along
I know you don't want me to be sad
But I can't help it. I try to smile for you,
I cry when I remember you,
Yet, I smile as well.
today you are one year old,
Today you have your first birthday,
As an Angel.

A peom to Darci Dralle,
Born March 3rd, 1980,
Died March 3rd, 1998
Remembered Forever.
~By Jordan Smith~

two years have gone by, and it almost seems to have been forgotten. but then so many things are forgotten in the course of history, we all will be forgotten someday, won't we? hopefully no. hopefully, someday when we think we're forgotten, someone will find some piece of evidence that we were here, and that we all existed. maybe someday some far away unknown person will put something of us, a piece of us on display...and ourselves, our past, our memories...in a way will be held frozen, forever and ever...
this is dedicated to one of my friends. though a lot of people i know that will see this page didn't know her, i know of a few that did, who will. well, to give you a little info on her she was one of my friends, darci lynette dralle, who was born on march 3, 1980, and lived just long enough to turn eighteen, then die early in the morning on march 3, 1998. she lived for a year with cancer before it took her life. she was one of the nicest people that we all knew, and by putting her on this page, by just mentioning her like i have right now, is only a little bit of the gratitude that me, or any of us that knew her could ever give back.
from an angel, to an angel. i've been told that my home is heaven, and that's where yours is too for right now. from what i remember of it, from what i dream of it, from what i believe of it to be, it's a beautiful place, and we know you're happy and safe up there. whether it be sitting on a cloud with white feathery wings on, or walking down streets paved in gold... we love you darci, you know that already, we know you're up there, and we know we'll see you again soon. a kiss to the heavens, a hug to the stars...and to you our friend, we'll never say farewell...

I saw you today.
I remembered you today.
I tried to live for you today.
But I coultn't.
I watched the clock
and waited for the memory of the thyme to come,
but things have changed.
I saw you today.
But I didn't notice.
It's as if everything and everyone was the same.
Then, as it is now.

Today and Yesterday

Yesterday we went for a walk
Today you are cold in a room
Yesterday you were here
Today it's as if you're not
Yesterday we laughed
Today I almost cried
Yesterday I wore black
Today I dressed in white
Yesterday you were down on earth
Today you float above
Yesterday you told me to be strong
Today I used that strength
Yesterday you taught me life
Today you teach me death
Yesterday you were with me
Today I stand alone
Yesterday you were here
But today you are gone.

I remember it as though it were yesterday. I was unknowingly dressed in black. The begining of the day was perfect. Nothing wrong, nothing hinting of what was to come. Even though it had already happened.
It was weird, we were sitting in third period biology, the rowdiest class that he had. That's what Mr. Trople said. And it was true. We were never quiet. It was in the old part of the building, it's no longer there though. They tore it down and put the new part of the building there (and might I add were in the process of tearing it down when this all happened.)
Well, it was a Tuesday? or a Thursday...I don't remember. I think it was a Tuesday because I remember having to go through the rest of the week.
Anyway, we were sitting in the class, being noisy, as usual, and someone came in, I don't remember who, but it was an office assistant. She handed Mr. Trople a notice, it was a special announcement. I could tell. We get them all the time, they're usually about some sports update, "Tonight’s tennis match in Anacortes is canceled because of rain (what a concept. rain.)" or something like that.
Mr. Trople didn't even ask us to be quiet. He just started to talk. He spoke in a loud voice, you kind of had to be heard in that room, with all the construction going on around us, and the walls only being tarps and thin sheets of plywood.
"Darci Dralle died..." Those were the first words out of his mouth. Everything stopped. For the rest of that day those were the only words that I could remember...but now I remember it all. I remember the first sentence "Darci Dralle died early this morning after a long battle with cancer." I'm surprised I remember that because I have a bad memory, but I remember it.
After hearing the first three words, the next thing I heard was nothing. Everything was quiet. It wasn't a respect quiet, it wasn't a threatening quiet, or a threatened quiet. Just a dull, eerie quiet. I'd never heard that class so quiet.
After a few seconds, which seemed like forever and a day, the only sounds that you could hear was Mr. Trople talking, and Amber, right across the table from me, crying. She was the only one making any noise.
Mr. Trople continued to read the small paragraph that was supposed to tell us about the death of our friend. The small paragraph, I looked at it, it was tiny, and on only a portion of a piece of paper, to conserve paper I guess, save a tree, hug a tree. That's how all the special announcements are.
After Mr. Trople read the paragraph everyone kept quiet. No one said anything, no one moved, I could swear that no one even breathed. Again that eerie silence, the sound of Amber's sobs breaking through it all, only adding to the creapiness of it.
After a few minutes I walked over to Amber and helped her up. I didn't even look at Mr. Trople, in the announcement it had said that special counselors had been brought in, and that there was an area set up in the library for mourning, a place to go if you didn't want to be in class.
We didn't want to go to the library, the counselors wouldn't understand. They thought they would, they thought they did. But they didn't. We wanted to go away, we didn't known where, just away, far away from this place, to another world, anywhere, just somewhere as long as Darci was still alive.
As I took Amber through the halls, the same eerie silence followed me. Footsteps, someone with dress shoes on was walking upstairs, the hollow clunk moving away from the stairway.
I half walked, half carried Amber to the bathroom. I got her some Kleenex and we cleaned up her make-up. We looked at each other for a minute, then I hugged her tightly. Darci's our friend.
She nodded then we headed back to class. Out the door, through the hall, and at the top of the stairs, Amber stopped. She turned to the wall and punched it as hard as she could. I stood there for a minute then took her by the arms and led her from it, she went willingly. "Don't hurt the wall. It's sad too."
Down the other stairs, into the science wing. Then we stopped and looked at each other, then she turned around, looked back up at me, saying one word, one word was all she needed to say, "Jason."
I just looked at her, then we turned the corner and walked back into class. Everyone just watched us. No one else really knew Darci. They just watched us, moving their chairs and feet out of the way as we passed, as though we had the black plague. It's as if they were waiting. For what, I don't know.
Whether they were waiting for Amber to break down and cry again, i couldn't tell, they could see I hadn't cried. I don't wear make-up so if I had cried, besides the fact that my eyes weren't red, they couldn't tell. They expected me to cry, kick, scream, whatever. They wanted me to do something, just anything, they expected me to. I felt bad for letting them down.
We picked up our bags and Amber just walked out the door, I looked at Mr. Trople and he just nodded at me. I felt all their eyes on my back. I shut the door.
Amber looked at me again, she was waiting at the steps "What class does he have right now?"
I knew what class he had. He had independent music theory third period, while the concert band was reahersing. I remembered because he had almost four straight periods in the same room with the same teacher in a row. Three of them I was in. Zero hour jazz band, I was in that. Then second period symphonic band, I was in that too. Then he had third period independent music theory, with Josh. After that fourth period music history, I was in that too.
It was the end of third period when we made it to the band room. I hadn't realized that it'd all taken that long. We'd been told at the beginning of class, but when we got to Jason it was almost the end of class. They say time flies when you're having fun, but that's not always true.
I walked into the band room and looked around, the concert band wasn't playing. They were all standing around, talking. I looked around, no one was in there that knew Darci. I knew because they all got quiet when me and Amber entered. They all watched us, just like earlier. It all went quiet and they watched us.
I set my bag down on the seat that I sit in fourth period then glanced back at everyone, they were all watching me. They weren't watching Amber, they didn't know her. She wasn't in band. But they knew me, and they knew that I wouldn't snap at them if they were watching me. They also saw that I hadn't cried yet. They know that I don't wear make-up, they saw that my eyes weren't red, but Amber’s were, they knew she'd cried. But they knew me better.
I looked at my band teacher Mr. Osborn and he nodded to the door leading outside to the steps. I nodded back my thanks then walked out the door.
The sight that I saw I'll never forget. Jason, Josh, and Chris, all sitting out there. There were several other people around them, smaller people, comforting them. Jason and Josh were on the steps right in front of me.
Josh, around 5'8", not very big, but not too small either. He wasn't the type to be emotional. He was crying, but comforting everyone else, he does that. He’s the leader of "the group".
Jason, over 6'5", very big guy, not wide, but in height, he always ate a lot. I know that. We call him tall person, he's got a lot of hair too, not long hair, he's just a hairy guy, a goatee and all. He was sitting next to Josh. He was crying too.
Chris was over on the steps outside the little theatre entrance, he was by himself, sitting with his knees up, his head down, his hands covering his head. Chris' a big person, a big guy, and you wouldn't think big guys would cry. Chris was crying.
Everyone had gathered around Jason and Josh, so I ducked under the rail and made my way over to Chris. I sat down next to him and gave him a hug. It was a long hug. I didn't let him go for what I swear was five minutes. Or he didn't let me go. I'm not sure which was it was.
Casey came over and wanted to give him a hug too. It hurt me, I felt really helpless. I'll never forget the sight of the three of them, crying.
By this time there were about twenty people outside, this was during the fight between me and that particular group, so I didn't feel very comfortable out there. But I barely noticed it.
We stayed outside, Chris went home a few minutes later. I looked around, and everyone had stood up, and walked back into the band room. They all needed to tell their teachers that they weren't going to be going back to class. Slowly they dispersed, going their separate ways, promising to meet again in the library in a few minutes.
Jason talked to Mr. Osborn, but I didn't. Jason left and went to the library. I stayed. There were about six people in the class, but with Jason gone, and Scott on a field trip, there were about five including me and the teacher.
Again, everyone watched me. I wanted to scream. I wanted to stand up and scream. Don't you have anything better to do than to look at me!? But I didn't. I'm not going to cry! If that's what you're waiting for! I thought about it. Maybe I should cry. Just for them. Maybe it'll help them, to see me cry. I thought for a minute more. No, no, crying is bad. If people see you sad, then they'll get sad. If you're happy, then they won't be as sad. They won't be reminded... I put a smile on my face (as good a smile as can be expected on a day like that) and went about what was going on.
But it didn't last. Fifteen minutes into the period I couldn't stand it anymore. I raised my hand and Mr. Osborn nodded, I turned and started out the door. "I'm going to go check on Jason."
They watched me leave. Halfway down the band hallway I turned a corner and there was Jason, before I could stop him he slammed his fist into the uniform closets. The skin on his knuckles tore open and bled. I grabbed his hand and took a clean Kleenex out of my pocket ( I always keep a clean piece of Kleenex on me, there's never any Kleenex around when you need it) and whiped the blood of his hand, it didn't do him any good to have a bloody fist. I held it on there and he tried not to cry.
I turned around and we walked back into the band room. By then Mr. Osborn had stopped the class and everyone was sitting. They watched me. I looked around. I wondered why they were watching me. Shouldn't they be watching Jason?
It made perfect sense. Jason's her best friend, he should be the one they watch.
But they didn't want to be rude. Jason's her best friend, he's hurting, you don't want to stare at him, it'll only make things worse. Their eyes fell on me.
Me and Jason sat in the class for a while, then he went to get something out of his locker, I don't remember what. I looked around, they were looking at me again. I sighed and stood up, walking out the door I set down on the ground, on the cement in front of the steps.
It was a sunny day, March 3. Darci’s birthday. I remembered. I smiled for a minute, wondering what to get her, happy that there was some happiness in the day, that not everything was going wrong. Then I remembered. "Darci Dralle died..."
I stood up again, uncomfortable on the cold cement. I turned around and looked at the big brick side of the building. Does it make you feel better? I pondered. Well of course. Amber and Jason both did it. Why not?
It hurt. I bruised my knuckles and my hand swelled, but only a tiny scratch was on my pinkie. I couldn't feel it though. I can't feel my right pinkie. I'm thinking that was a good thing. I sat down again, in the grass this time, cradling my hand. " Sarah Renee`..." Jason saw. "That's not very smart."
You did it. He sat down next to me. I just stared ahead blankly. He looked me over, then leaned over and gave me a hug, then stood up and walked back into the band room.
"Who's that sitting in the chair?"
"That's Darci."
"THAT'S Darci!? I haven't seen her in forEVER!"
"She's got her hat on, that's why. The last time you saw her was with her hair."
I remembered that. That was at Jason's birthday party, sometime in October. Darci had been there. I didn't recognize her at first. The last time I'd seen her was on the bus earlier in the spring. She lived near me, about two miles away. She was healthy then. Pale skin, pink cheeks, short naturally blonde ringlets of hair.
I looked at her at the party, she still had the pink cheeks to her face, but her hair was gone. On her head was a jean hat, it looked good on her. I liked it. "It'll grow back. and I betcha, it'll grow back even prettier than it was before."
That's what I'd told her. At a basketball game in November.
"How can you tell if the stage is level?"
Darci had leaned forward on Mr. Osborn's big chair and grinned big, readjusting the jean baseball hat on her head.
"If the drummers drooling out of BOTH sides of his mouth"
"Hey! I heard that!"
Jason came over and stood in between us. Me and Darci just looked at each other, then looked at him, then busted up laughing again. We laughed for the most part of the lunch period. Then at the end she frowned, "What's wrong?"
She just looked at me, the weather hadn't effected her yet, it was only the middle of December, exactly one week from Christmas, the weather wasn't that bad yet. It couldn't have been the weather.
It was the day before Christmas break started, that was her first day back in school after she was done with the chemo.
She made a face " I go to the doctor next week for some tests."
"Ish. When next week?"
"The day before Christmas eve."
"Well, good luck. I'm sure they'll find nothing."
"Oh I know they'll find nothing."
Christmas eve she got the call that her cancer was back. I remember that. I remember all that.
I remember the day that Candace told me that Darci had only three months to live. I remember when the rumors started around school and they had to be cleared/corrected with another one of those "special announcements."
We had a dance for her. The make a wish foundation was raising money to send her to Hawaii. The last wish of a dying girl. She never lived to go. I still have one of the paper pink hearts that we attached to the balloons. "We love you Darci." It's printed on both sides.
I turned around and walked back into the band room. Class had ended. Fourth period had ended. Everyone was coming back into the band room. All of Darci's friends, well, not all of them, but those that i had seen were the majority of her closest friends.
We wanted to leave. But they wouldn't let us. "Just let us go. There's no reason for us to stay here."
"If the other students see you still here, you, her good friends, then they'll know that everything is all right."
We shut up then. We couldn't win. This was the vice principal. You didn't mess with him.
But everything is not all right. You don't understand. Leave us alone. Let us grieve in peace!
Again I felt uncomfortable. This was during the fight. And I wasn't getting along with this group. But we didn't fight. We didn't argue, we didn't even look as though we were uncomfortable. All for Darci.
We sat in a circle, Jordan and Jimmy ran off campus to get some food. We were hungry and we'd missed lunch. They went to Hal's, fortunately they weren't caught being off campus, we have a closed campus. Hal's is only a block away from the high school.
We sat in the grass outside the band room. In a circle. Our food already gone, we were hungry. It was a sunny day, there were a few clouds, but nothing big. a beautiful day. The perfect day to have a birthday. We sang her happy birthday. "It's her birthday today."
"What a birthday present."
"That it is. She's no longer in anymore pain." Most everyone cried. They tried not to, but by the end of happy birthday, they were crying. They couldn't help it. I didn't. We looked up at the sky, we had a big group hug.
A good day to have a birthday, a good day to die. Ironic. The same day. A good day, but a bad day. A nice day with the weather. Ironic that a good day to have a birthday, to celebrate life, can also be a good day to die, another celebration of life.
We sang the good bye song. Almost no one got through that song without crying. I did.
The day went on. I only felt numb. I went home. I talked to my friends, my friends that weren't from around here. "Darci turned eighteen this morning."
"Who's Darci?"
I hated it when people asked that. But there was no other way that they would recognize who she was. "The girl who had cancer."
"Really? Well tell her happy birthday for me!"
"She died this morning."
I guess that was kind of a blow. But it wasn't for them to worry about. It was my time to grieve. I didn't cry. I didn't want to. There's no reason in being sad, if someone doesn't want you to be sad. Being sad gets you nowhere.
Saturday we had the memorial. I dressed in white. I sat with Candace. I couldn't cry. I didn't cry. If I cried, then Candace would start up again. And I didn't want her to cry. I don't like seeing people cry. People crying means they're sad. And I don't like to see people sad. Especially Candace. But everyone there was sad. It was inevitable; a word I can't say. But that can't be helped.
I don't remember much else of that day. Things were different, it wasn't for Darci then. Things were as before. And the fight was on. And I felt uncomfortable around them. Well, I guess it was for Darci. It was only Jordan that I felt uncomfortable around. And we stayed away from each other. But earlier in the week, Darci had even brought us together. We thought it impossible, but she brought us together, during our hardest time.
She was there. That day. That day outside the band room. She was out there, she was with us. We all felt it. We all knew it. There wasn't an emptiness that we were mourning for. It was the person that was there, that we couldn't see. It was that she'd always be there, but we couldn't see her, or touch her anymore. It was that we mourned for.
We mourned for Darci, our friend. Eighteen year old Darci, who didn't deserve to die so young. But she did.
We mourned for Darci. the person, the girl, who has a name to us. But to most people in Sedro-Woolley, to most of the people in the world, the girl who died of cancer last year. One of many. A statistic. We hate that.
To us she's Darci. She'll always be Darci. Inevitably: it can't be helped; she'll always be known as the girl who died of cancer. But if that's what it takes to get her known, to get her to fulfill her place in life, what the fates have decided for her, her destiny, if you will.
If that's what it takes to keep her memory alive, to keep her alive, then so be it.
We sat down. After the group hug, Darci was in the middle, we saved a space for her. We'll always have a space saved for her.
I have a picture, the most treasured picture I have. It has everyone. At Jason's party, before the fight, before the wedding, before everyone moved, before Darci died. Everyone. Jason, Jordan, Josh, Tina, Mel, me, Jon, Jedi, mike, kellene, kim, Joe, Dana, and Darci.
I looked around, and it was all the same people from the party. Most all the same anyway. It was like the picture. But there was one person missing. But she wasn't.
Josh looked up, he looked at the sky. There were clouds in the sky, but not too many, not enough to cover up too much of the pretty blue. He started to sing softly. He has a good voice.
The good bye song, it was our song. It was everyone's song. Before the fights, before the moves, before the wedding, before the death...it was the song we always sang. Whenever, wherever.
On band trips to Port Townsend, and Wenatchee, to the Bellevue jazz trip, the Ski To Sea Parade in Bellingham, in the car just driving around. We sang it everywhere. Whenever. It didn't matter. He sang it now, it was fitting. " If you don't wanna say good bye you can say asta luego. So long see see you later. I wanna see you very soon again my friend si si we'll see you tomorrow, you are my special amigo, that's cause you mean so much to me. We are good friends and we don't like to say the word good-bye. And it's so sad it almost makes me, wanna cry. Oh no, there must be a brighter way, some words that show we don't want to go away, hold on, there's always tomorrow..."