Time Flies...

Hey, everyone,

I'm back with a special post today as I've been asked to be the Guest Designer this week for my friend Danni's "Flutter-By Wednesday" challenge :)

Thanks so much, Danni for having me today!  The challenge this week on her blog is an open challenge to just use a butterfly, fairy, or angel on your projects.  I have had these adorable Butterfly 3D stickers from my cousin/BFF Kim for a while and they were calling to be used for today's special card!

The sentiment is from Unity's November Kit of the Month.  

TIME FLIES.

I also used the RCC (Ribbon Carousel challenge) sketch today by Laura to make today's creation:

My card has a special meaning today, too.  One of the reasons I love butterflies so much and why they've always been so important to me came at a young age.  Tomorrow will be the 20th anniversary of my childhood best friend's death as a result of a senseless and tragic accident.  While time surely does fly, I guess I can't believe it's been 20 years.

Unfortunately, any photos I have of my friend and I together are in storage from when we moved and I realized where I had put the three photo albums i have-both of our photos together and also the newspaper clippings from the accident that claimed her life 8 days after it occurred.    She had a smile that could light up a whole block, didn't she?

I miss you, Meg...and I thank you for helping me to be the responsible teenager I was and pray that my children will make the same sound decisions one day when faced with what my friend was faced with.  She wasn't drinking but got into a car with people who had been.   I posted about it a few years ago and the whole issue of drinking and driving will forever be a crusade of mine whenever I can pursue it and admonish others to really think before they make a foolish decision that could take a life...or more than one.  I am so grateful that her mother and sister are still in my life today.   Meggan and I met in Children's choir.  I attended the Catholic school within the church but Meggan went to the public school but came for choir practices.  We became fast friends and loved to sing together.  One day during choir practice as we were sitting in our chairs listening to Sister Bernadette talk (I don't' think she was supposed to do this then-but she couldn't' wait, lol), she gave me one of those 'broken heart' Best Friends necklaces and had our names engraved on the back.  I remember feeling like the bees knees that day.  I'm so grateful for that.  For tennis in the street.  For piano playing and singing and for the fact that she accidentally slammed my finger into my swing set playing tag when I was 12 and it broke and has been crooked ever since :)  Makes me think of her whenever I look down at it :)

While retelling these few stories makes me smile, I often wonder what it would be like if she was still here, and relive the tragic events each year not really for me, but as a parent I can't help but think of her wonderful mother losing her baby and as a person who is super close with my baby sister,  I just ache for my friend Jen who longs for her little sister back.

I've learned so much over the years, and 20 of them really have flown by.   Life has always been more precious since I was 15 years old and won't ever forget getting that phone call.
Life is precious.
butterflies are free.
Novembers are hard..but hope lives and I think Meg lives through that hope- that if even one person tells her story and prevents another senseless accident...well...that would be nice.

Thanks so much to DANNI for having me as the Guest designer today on the Flutter By Wednesday challenge blog...and thanks, everyone, for reading.  Hug your loved ones a little tighter today :)
and EVERY day  <3
xoxo,