Hope

Angelic, that was one word to describe her. She was thoughtful, loving, and all around the best person you would have met. Now, she's six feet under, wearing a blue dress, and holding a white rose tight to her chest. Her name was Hope, she was born in a small town, only child, loving mother and caring father. She had gorgeous red hair, that softly drifted down to her shoulders. It was curly and smooth, shiny like the sun that glistens off the ice after a winter storm. Her eyes, a bright pool of crystal blue, you'd get lost with every look she flashed your way. They seemed to glow, like the mood glowing its reflection off a soft calm ocean. Her smile, no matter where you were or how you were feeling, that smile would brighten your day. It was as if when she smiled, a sparkle of light flashed across her perley whites that set you a wave of ease. She was eighteen when she passed away and no matter how sad that day was, she seemed to make everyone feel better and assured that everything was going to be alright.

    She was diagnosed with leukemia when she was tweleve. Everyone, family and friends were devastated, but not Hope. She attacked the news like a lion pouncing a gazelle on a hot summer day. She spent her days researching, talking to others, and reassuring her family and friends that everything was going to be alright. Each time chemotherapy came around, she lost her gorgeous hair, and it got harder and harder for her to live through the pain. She was always happy, up beat, loving, and caring for everyone but the chemotherapy took one thing that mad Hope, Hope, her smile. She'd lay in that bed, hooked up to machines and wires, lifeless, just praying for yet another day of chemo to pass for her smile to return.

I never knew Hope much but when I did get to know her she was already on her third round of chemo. The day she died was one of the sadess days ever. In the hospital, all the family and friends could do was wait and pray for some miracal to happen. He held her in his arms as she slowly took her last breath and disappeared from the world. I watched as he sobbed and whaled at her lifeless body laying in front of him. It seemed peacefull in some way. Her long hair had dispersed on her first round of chemo and never grew back. No more waves and curls just her bald soft head, as the light seemed to glisten off it and assuring that everything was going to be alright. I couldn’t help but cry, watching my best friends whom I’ve know for years, head hung over his once and true love. I never saw love that strong, not even in movies but the moment he laid eyes on her things changed and things changed big time. It was true honest to god love at first sight and the day she died, it seemed all the love, happiness, joy, and peace went with her.

    The funeral was safe to say, nice. The room although small, fit every family and friend that came to say their goodbyes and to try their best to move on. It had tan walls with brown boarders, six rows of old rusted black chairs, the floor was a dark wooded floor with scuff marks and a worn out path up the middle to the casket. Their were two windows in this room, tan drapes that hung low, covered the window and hid everyone from the outside world. Every empty space held a small table, round, rectangular, square, even oval, all holding pictures and objects that would remind us of her and her life before it was taken away. She was dressed in a gorgeous blue and white dress, something she would have picked out herself if she could. The dress came down to her calves, not too tight but not too loose either. Her eyes, even closed, still seemed to send the message of peace, she was in blue eye shadow, very light red lipstick,  still holding a sweet smile, like she passed away happy. She was wearing a light blue vest, a gorgeous forever, silver necklace and a braided bracelet made by my best friend, Kendall. The one thing I most loved, was the white rose she held tight in her cold stiff hands. It was as if she grabbed it and didn’t wanna let go.It was an open casket funeral but, the ceremony was gorgeous. Everything she dreamt of, seemed to come true on the one day no one would ever forget. I spent that entire night sitting with Kendall, gray umbrelle overhead of us as the rain poured down on her grave. The rain poured down as though the angels in heaven were crying, not tears of sorrow, but tears of joy, tears of  Hope. It was as if he couldn’t move even if he wanted to, he was kneeling in pure mud, head hung low. I watched with tears in my eyes as the tears left his, gliding slowly down his cheeks and mixing in with the cold raindrops that seemed to smack down against her neatly placed headstone.Amongst the headstone read only three words, “Peace,  Love, Hope,” that was all that was needed to be said.