Sumali

It took me all week to absorb what happened before I could actually post this. I didn't want this to sound like a crappy drama on the WB or anything.
One of my best friends from high school died last week after a car accident.
Sumali and Kat were my best friends senior year. It seems like we did everything together. We went to lunch together everyday, were all in the Art club, went to see R.E.M. together. They were great friends when life wasn't so good to me. My mom and stepdad were separating, and I was just coming back from my year as an exchange student. I really missed my friends in Denmark and wanted to go back so badly. I didn't want to be here. I was seriously, majorly depressed. Then along came Sumali and Kat, the medicine I desperately needed.
We dressed crazy, and dyed our hair funky colors. We listened to kick ass music and knew we were cooler than everybody else. We had so much fun.
After we graduated, we grew apart. I got married and Kat went to college far away. I ran into Sumali a couple of times, but we didn't hang out anymore. We just grew up and grew apart.
Then last week I heard Sumali died.
I really regret losing touch. She was a beautiful girl, with a beautiful soul.
I've been thinking a lot about what these girls meant to me, and about what I wanted for myself when I was in school. The life I have is not what I thought I wanted. But I love this life. I love my husband, and my kids.
But there are some things I know I need to change. I used to be cool. I want to be cool again. I want to pursue my passion for art and photography with the fire I had back then. And I want to stop giving a shit about what people think of me all the time. It has made me frumpy and old. I used to not care about opinions at all and I'm going to try to get back there.
And from all this, Kat and I have gotten back in touch. I am going to try really hard to hang on to this friendship this time because I realize how important these relationships are now.
Rest in Peace, Sumali. You will never be forgotten.