I knew Becca for far too short a time. I was in love with her, and counted her as a good friend. To use Mackenzie’s words, she was a whirlwind in my life. I never knew anyone as unguardedly giving, or as lost. During our time together, I came to know a woman who cared for her family and friends deeply. She didn’t care for herself in the same way, and those around her, myself included, were always looking for ways to show her that she could. The ache in my heart from her loss is made all the more painful for the knowledge that, in the end, that didn’t happen.

She was a force of nature– things always happened around Becca. In the brief time that we were together, I experienced more things, and met more people than I had in a long time. There was always movement; there were always plans. She was genuinely full of life, full of love, and always struggling to improve. In her life, she had weathered many storms that would have beaten most people. She still retained an optimism that was contagious, and a genuine concern for others undimmed by experiences that should could have made her bitter.

Her children were the calm center of her stormy world. During the time that I knew her, all of her striving was for the one goal of doing right by them.

There are no words that can take away the pain of this loss. No amount of time that will make it feel ok. I will alway, always remember and cherish the time that I had with Becca. That is the best way I know to honor her memory.