Into the West

Gabriela "Gabby" Romero, my niece's dear friend, passed away the morning of Friday, October 2, 2009. She was only 17. She was so young. She had decided a few weeks earlier that she would end her chemo treatments. What a decision for someone to make. Especially someone who had lived, to most people, so little of her life. She was very much loved. If she didn't know it before passing away, she definitely knew it afterwards. Waves and waves of kids sporting bright pink tshirts and face paint filled the stands of Pearland's gym to support the Lady Horns (currently under the name Team Gabby) in what would be their toughest game yet. Not only were they playing the #1 team who had a lot to lose if they lost this game (at the time, Dobie was the only undefeated team), but they had already lost one of the most important things to them that morning.

When I got to Pearland, they were just beginning to announce the names of the girls on the Varsity Pearland volleyball team. Each girl held a rose in her hand and as her name was called, she ran across the court and handed a rose to one of the girls on the Dobie team. It was a very touching moment. I think my brother got a little emotional himself, as I kept hearing him sniffle as he recorded the whole game opening.

After the game--they lost, unfortunately--Dobie News and a local high school sports channel interviewed my niece, one of Gabby's old friends and one of the leaders of the volleyball team. Afterwards, I gave her a big hug and told her how I wished they didn't have to go through all of this, and that I was so proud of how they had handled it and how they had carried themselves.

I took my nephew Austin and his friends to Gabby's house where a lot of the kids were holding a candlelight vigil. The streets surrounding her cul de sac were so packed I could barely drive through them. The whole middle of the street was filled with kids. I'm not exaggerating. It was just one gigantic pile of Gabby's loved ones.

The next morning I listened to Into the West.

Mortality is something so... scary to really think about. To be only 17 and have to face your own mortality the way Gabby did? And of course I can't think of something like this and not think about Anne. She was only 24. I'm only 23. By my age she'd already fought leukemia and beaten it once. What the hell have I done?

I've come to the realization that I don't think I'll be doing much that's great in this lifetime. But I can love. And I will love and love and love and live to love as much as possible. Love is a many splendored thing and I will love until my heart bursts.

I think the reason why I love Into the West so much is because although it is definitely a song written to comfort the one who is/had been physically suffering... it definitely is comforting to the one who had been their strength the whole time. The line, which is definitely--easily--my favorite in the song, "Why do you weep? What are these tears upon your face? Soon you will see all of your fears will pass away," is a line that I have imagined many times. I've imagined Anne saying it to David the night she passed away and I find it so comforting because that's the kind of person she was. So loving, so caring. So concerned about everyone else.

On a much lighter note, I had a great time at happy hour with Maggie, Buddy & Sarah! Sometimes you just need to sit and shoot the shit with your friends. I loved my drink, my tapas, and--you guessed it--I love my friends :)

Love Love Love...