Dear Manny,

How fast these few years have gone by. I swear it seems like so many more than two. Not a single day has passed where I haven’t thought of you, and to this day it still hurts as much as that night. After all those years struggling through school, we were finally a month away from our high school graduation. I remember speaking with you everyday on the school bus of how badly we wanted to be done with school, and I know at times that goal seemed so far away. I reminisce on those memories and it gives me the motivation to keep on going with my schoolwork and dreams for the future.

It’s crazy to think that I am entering my Junior year of college already, but I couldn’t have done it without you right here with me. I constantly think about all those good times we had throughout grade school, middle, and high school, and now I am able to smile and be happy when those memories dart into my head. I have been seeking counseling here at school for the past few months, and I feel the difference from all the help. I did not know how to cope with your loss, and burying the pain and sorrow deep inside of me was not the proper way to deal with it. I no longer feel an unbearable pain when I see a photo of you, or when people bring you up in a conversation. Don’t get me wrong, I still miss you and sometimes wish things could have been different; but that car accident taught me so many lessons and helped mold me into the young man I am today.

Thank you for always being there for me, even though you might not be here with us physically anymore. I will always carry you in my heart.

Love your friend since the fourth grade,

-Danny V., age 19