To my friend Lori

One of my favorite things to do every night is to go through my Facebook homepage and read all the exciting things that are going on with my friends. A couple of nights ago as I scrolled down I read something on a friends page and immediately started to feel a lump in throat swell. "Please let this be a mistake!" was the only thing I could get through my head....

I want to tell you about my friend Lori Carmin Constantinides. She was one of my dear friends while growing up in Wheatland. Even though Lori was a couple of years younger than me, (my brothers age) we found ourselves running in the same circles.

We really grew close in high school. I remember partnering with Lori for the category of  "humorous duet interpretation" on the speech team. We had a hard time getting through our bit because we were usually laughing to hard to make it all the way through to the end. We would sit on the bus while traveling to these speech meets and solve all of the worlds problems. Well at least the problems going on at Wheatland High School!

The speech team was my place to vent. I always felt comfortable talking to my friends on the long bus rides to and from speech meets. Lori would sit for hours and listen to my friend Shawn and I imitate our teachers and talk about kids that we found interesting.  She would always laugh and encourage us! I remember that laugh and smile just like I was sitting on that bus with her yesterday. She always had the most beautiful smile and a huge laugh (usually a big belly laugh) that would make every one else on the bus want to sit  and congregate in our little corner.

Lori and I tried to date each other a couple of different times. That didn't work out for obvious reasons.. haha!! But it's funny.... If I could go back  now and sit down with anyone and explain what was going on in my heart of hearts; there is no one one that would have understood me better than Lori would have. I can picture her grasping my hand and saying, "It's ok Jeran!" That's just the kind of person she was!

I look at her family pictures now, on the internet, and I smile and cry thinking about how beautiful her family and life had become! We should all be so lucky!

I had a chance to go to that class reunion this last weekend. I was invited by many friends on multiple occasions, but I had other plans. Obviously if I would have known that was going to be my very last chance to see an old friend... we all know how that story plays out.

So.... here goes... Lori, I can honestly say you made my life better by being a part of it! I will think back on all the times we spent together with so much laughter and joy! I'm sorry we lost touch after high school, but like so many of our friends, I was thrilled to find out you were thriving in Colorado Springs. My heart breaks for the sadness that surrounds your death. I hope I can meet your husband Alex, and find the appropriate and comforting words that allow him a moment of  peace. (I will  continue to pray for that every night and hope I can find the strength to stop weeping!)

And honestly, in some weird way, this actually makes my faith grow stronger. I can't help but think God needed you and those beautiful children for something much bigger than what we could possibly understand here on earth; and that is why he had take you from us on such short notice.

Go now my friend, with your beautiful babies, and rest in eternal comfort.

With all my love, thoughts and prayers,

Jeran