Goodbye Shae Reed

Tonight I say goodbye to a friend. She was the victim of a motorcycle accident. We do not know why she and the driver were speeding down that street. It’s possible they were being chased, but it’s more likely they were just feeling wild and young. We know they were smart enough to wear helmets but dumb enough to be traveling in excess of 100 miles an hour (sorry, it’s true). We know that we have one family with fatherless children, and another family with a disabled sister that may not completely understand what has happened. These are consequences we must all suffer in their absence.

I know I lost a friend whose love helped me through hard times of my own. Shae Reed was a blue-eyed angel who could talk and work like a man but still be the prettiest girl in the room. She was goofy, mean, loving, caring and beautiful. You got it all with Shae. There’s so much more I’d like to say but it breaks my heart to think about it.

I spent about every other weekend and most of October with Shae for the last five years. In the last few years she ended every conversation with “I love you pops”, to which I’d always respond “I love you baby girl”.  Those words will always echo in my head.

I’m sharing this to remind all of you to remember that everything you do impacts others and to always let those you care about know that you love them so at the very least you’ll have no regrets.

R.I.P. Shae Reed