I Was There

I got this from a friend who got it from someone else who wrote it for his best friend who had passed away from breast cancer and is now raising her daughter. Its a beautiful testament of friendship.


"I Was There"-------------

I was there the day you climbed into the treehouse and said "Hi, I'm Jill." We were 6 years old, and we had our whole lives ahead of us. Little did we know that one day this random crossing of our paths would come to mean so much.

I was there the day you learned to ride your bike without the training wheels. You kept falling and getting up again, over and over. You were determined to do it, because you were Jill, and you refused to let anything beat you.

I was there the day you gave me the "best friend" medal that you had made, and you told me to keep it forever. I still have it.

I was there on your birthday, every year. I was there the day you turned 13, and suddenly hair and makeup were more important to you than baseball cards and hockey. I didn't agree, but I understood. We were growing up, and we were different. But that was ok, because you were still Jill, and you were still my best friend.

I was there the day your father died. I held you while you cried, but I didn't know what to say. You said "Just hold me," so I did. Then I watched you get back on your feet, hold your head up high, and go on. Because you were Jill, and you refused to let anything beat you.

I was there the day Steve M. broke your heart. I held you while you cried, and I told you Steve was a fool, and that anybody would be lucky to have you. And I meant it.

I was there the day you got your driver's license. And the day Mike what's-his-name-isniewski asked you to the prom. And the day you got the lead in "The Sound Of Music". And the day you sang the National Anthem in front of 10000 people in Concord. And all the other happy and proud moments in your life that seemed to come so easily for you. And I was happy for you, because you were my best friend.

I was there the day we graduated from high school. You were proud of all that you had accomplished; I was just happy to be done. It didn't matter that we had different goals - I was happy for you, and you were happy for me, because you were my best friend and that was all that mattered.

I was there the day you left for college. And I was there the day you got your degree, and the day you got your first real job. And I was happy for you, because you were my best friend and you had accomplished everything you had set out to do.

I was there the day your mother died. I held you while you cried, but I didn't know what to say. You said "Just hold me," so I did. Then I watched you get back on your feet, hold your head up high, and go on. Because you were Jill, and you refused to let anything beat you.

I was there the day you met Glenn. I told you that night that he was the one you were going to marry someday, and I was right. And I'll never forget how excited you were the day you showed me the ring. And I was happy for you, because you were my best friend, and all your dreams were about to come true.

I was there on your wedding day. The happiest day of your life. It was an honor for me to stand beside you that day, and to toast your new life together, because you were my best friend.

I was there the day after Katie was born. I'll never forget the look of joy in your eyes when I got there and saw you holding her in your arms. Life was perfect. Everything you'd ever dreamed of had come true. And I was happy for you, because you were my best friend.

I was there the day Glenn died. I'll never forget the sound of your voice on the phone that night when you called, nor the look in your eyes when I got there. I held you while you cried, but I didn't know what to say. You said "Just hold me," so I did. Then I watched you get back on your feet, hold your head up high, and go on. Because you were Jill, and you refused to let anything beat you.

I was there the day the doctor told you that you had cancer. And I was there the day he told you that it wasn't responding to treatment. I held you while you cried, and I told you that you would be ok. I told you that you would beat it, and that you would live to be 100, because you were Jill, and you refused to let anything beat you.

I was there the day you knew that cancer had beaten you. I held you while you cried, but I didn't know what to say. You said "Just hold me," so I did. I knew that you had fought as hard as you could, because you were Jill. I promised you that I would be there until the end, and do whatever I had to do. And I meant it. Because you were my best friend.

I was there the day you died. I held your hand while you took your last breath, just like I had promised I would. I held Katie while she cried, but I didn't know what to say. I could hear your voice saying "Just hold her," so I did. Then I watched her get back on her feet, hold her head up high, and go on. Because she's Katie, and she's just like you, and she refuses to let anything beat her.
I was there the day she started 2nd grade.

And I'll be there the day she learns to ride her bike without the training wheels.

And I'll be there the day she turns 13, and the day she gets her driver's license, and the day she graduates from high school, and from college.

And I'll be there to walk her down the aisle on her wedding day.

I'll be there. And you'll be there too, because you're Jill, and you wouldn't miss any of that for the world. I know that, because I was there - growing up with you, laughing with you, crying with you, celebrating with you, mourning with you. Just being with you. I was there. Because you were my best friend.

I'll never forget.