Over the past several days, I have really wrestled over how to put into words what Tyler meant (and means) to me. Like so many of you reading this, there’s no way I can take the memories that are racing through my head, the emotions that I feel in my heart, and the laughs and tears that I’ve shed and shared over the days since her leaving this earth – and fully and appropriately express the impact of our friendship on my life and the incredible legacy that she has left behind. One of the most tangible ways we hold on to those we have loved and lost is by telling stories of our lives together, looking through pictures, reading old letters, laughing at high school yearbook notes, scrolling through text conversations, replaying phone conversations over and over in our head, the list goes on. In sharing those stories with others we find that some of our stories connect. We learn things about Tyler that we never knew – things that encourage us or put a smile on our face. We hold on to each other as we hold on to Tyler. We encourage and lift each other up in ways that we may not have done before. Sharing Tyler stories creates a thankfulness in our own hearts for the privilege of knowing and loving her and inspires us to live our own lives marked by the same Joy that Tyler exemplified every day. Those who never even knew Tyler are impacted by hearing her stories – so let’s never stop telling them!

 

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