You would have been 33 today. I messaged your father telling him about the time you French braided my hair. That was the first time I’d ever had a French braid. I’d tried so many times to do it myself, but my arms would get tired with the effort because I have a lot of hair. But you did it expertly, with a deftness that surprised me. You seemed to be good at everything.
I remember when we first met during one of the darkest times in both of our lives. It was as if we had been friends forever. It felt like a rare connection, especially when you would say to me, “I can tell what you’re thinking right now just by looking at you.”
It’s always the people like you that leave this earth too soon. Talented, artistic, effortlessly funny, charismatic, beautiful, loved by so many. A love that remains and is still evident to this day.
Happy Heavenly Birthday, D.