My Best Friend and Happy Birthday Preston

This isn't how I wanted to start my next post, but it's the way life rolled.......

MY BEST FRIEND…..RIP

Thursday, October 8, 2009 - Today we buried my best friend, not only my best friend but my oldest friend. I don’t mean “oldest” by age, I mean “oldest” by she is in my earliest, fondest memories from my childhood. I don’t know how old you are when you start remembering things from your childhood, but when I remember my childhood and activities, she is always there, always in my memories, and she always will be. Aleta Ann was born on October 8, 1960, we buried her on October 8, 2009, she was 48 years old and taken from us way too soon. I wish it were an illness or an innocent “accident”, but she died from pure, cold-blooded, murder. How could someone be so cold, so sick to shoot someone in the head, not once, but twice……how could they. Aleta left behind two beautiful daughters and one son, five grandchildren she adored and they adored her. She also has a wonderful father, two brothers and one older sister; they will all mourn her death for a long time as I will also. Her mother preceded her in death; she too was a wonderful person. Her brother-in-law did a beautiful job at her funeral service; he brought out scripture that told her story to a tee. He told how beautiful a friend she was to everyone she was around. Her co-workers had nothing to say but praise for her. I heard one of them after the funeral say to her father, “I loved working with you daughter, she really was a pleasure to be around.” And she was. I told the lady, because I didn’t know her, “you were the lucky one”. She was lucky because she got to see Aleta Ann just about everyday; she got to see her smile and the twinkle in her pretty blue eyes. Aleta would get so tickled at something she would just be thinking about saying her eyes would start watering. She had the prettiest blue eyes and brown hair. She was always struggling with her straight hair and I was struggling with my curly hair. She would be trying to get hers to curl and I would be doing everything but ironing mine to try and get it to go straight! There weren’t many nights growing up either I was eating at her house or she was eating at mine and on the weekends, she was at my house or I was at hers. We only lived a couple of houses down the road from each other so there was a lot of back and forth all the time. Our moms always new we were together somewhere. As we grew up and older, we weren’t always together, marriage and children took our time and she moved to another town with her family. But when we would be together it was like we never left, we could just pick up where we left off. We even had our children about the same time in our lives. I had my first in December of 80, she had her first January 81. Then our next two followed the same suit, it was awesome! Then my last baby was born October 8, 1989 at 1:50 a.m. I couldn’t wait til morning so I could call her and let her know my baby was born on her birthday! Not that I would ever forget her birthday, but we just had such a special bond and now this would be even more special. I would try and call her every year on her birthday, this year we buried her……NOT FARE!

I just wanted to put these thoughts on paper today, I know I will never forget her, or the pain I’m feeling right now. I know it will get better and I will be able to think about her without crying, but right now it’s just really hard. I hope and pray justice will be served and they will find the person who did this to her, her family and her friends.

Aleta Ann, I love you and thanks for the memories!

Now I want to say Happy Birthday, Preston. Wow I can't believe you are 20 years old and we no longer have teenagers in our house. Well, actually, we don't have anymore young adults in our house now that you have moved to attend college.

I want you to know how proud I am of you and how much joy you have brought to our family. I know college is tough and you aren't sure what you want to do.....I still don't know what I want to do....but I know you will figure it out. Keep up the good work and alway know I love you.....remember what Nanny always told you......stay on your side of the road. I love you! Mom