Month: January 2004

This website is excellent. It’s touching to read stories from so many of Emily’s friends. I was closest to Emily when she was very young, and over the last few years, only saw her occassionally. I’m discovering more and more that she truly did grow into an amazingly special, loving, fun person. One could certainly see all those qualities early on. I remember one camping trip with Wells, Ian and Emily, when she was only around six years old. She was watching the family at the next campsite for a few minutes, then decided to just boldly wander over, determined to make friends with “the kids over there.” Minutes later, she brought over a a girl her age and introduced us to her. She hung out with new friend for most of the weekend – and stayed in touch with her afterward. Even then, I remember wishing I had that kind of incredible self-confidence and good nature to pull something like that off. Obviously, she kept those wonderful qualities and with them, touched so many people. – Big

Our freshmen year of highschool, Emily and I would talk on the phone a lot. We would spend hours talking about the most random things. In one of these conversations, I vaguely remember mentioning that I’ve always wanted a “set” of white candles to display in my room, but it was too expensive to buy a lot of them. Well, the next week the doorbell rang yet no one was at the door, only a box filled with white candles. When I called to thank her, she denied any knowledge of the mysterious candle incident, but I knew it was her. It meant so much to me that she listened so intently to everything I said whether it seemed important or not, to me that is a true friend. I light the candles whenever I think about her now, and although they are almost melted away, I will never forget how caring and considerate she was.

There are so many memories I have of Emily that they all combine to form one incredible friend that I will never forget. Whether we were in choir making fun of Mr. M, complaining about Mr. Tahany, or quoting movies like Analyze This/That, we were always having fun together. I will never forget Emily and her memory will always be with me.

Over the years, for Emily’s birthday in late July, I would take Emily to a store called The Fashion Bug for her to pick out some new clothes for school. When she was 13 we left the island for our clothing spree. As soon as we arrived she spotted this one dress which was long and covered with very tasteful subdued blue sequins. As we completed the sweep of the store she still had the dress on her arm. So I asked her where she would wear it and she replied “to graduations, dances, weddings and funerals”. I thought only a grandmother could let her have it if it was she really wanted. So she tried it on and it fit as if it were tailored for her. So I bought it for her. I had to agree not to tell her Dad when we got back on the island. So I didn’t but when it was time for presents she showed up wearing it at the top of the hill overlooking the lake. I thought Wells was going to fall out of his chair. It was quite a sight for everyone. We never forgot it. The picture of her all “grown up” is still treasured today…Grandmum

I was thinking about the time Emily, Maria, and I spent Emily’s birthday in her mom’s TT. We split anywhere from 6 to 10 energy drinks between us and had a buzz for about and hour, maybe even two before we ended up conking out on the bed. There are actually pictures of it on Maria’s website. I’m not a computer person, so if you visit http://community.webshots.com/user/smurf23984 you can see some of Em’s high school pictures. Love you Em.

Yesterday I was sitting at the breakfast table looking out over the vast concrete patio outside the window. I sit there every morning, and every night as I eat. I play with the dogs out on the patio every day. I noticed, for the first time, a tiny, gold-wrapped present sitting in the middle of the patio. It was impossible not to see it. It was shiny and had a bow on it and a miniature tag. I stared at it in amazement. We had taken the Christmas trees out a week and a half earlier, and I had checked them carefully to make sure all the ornaments were removed. And this was a shiny gold box, How in the world could you miss a shiny gold box?? Not only that, but I had been looking out this same window for a week and a half at the very spoot where it lay. Not 15 feet from where I sat. And it was all alone in the middle of a slab of concrete. I sat transfixed. Em’s grandmother has made ornaments for all of us, and every grandchild for several years, and it looked to be one of those. I thought to myself “How wierd would that be if it was one of Emily’s. If it was Em’s would it be a message?” I dropped what I was doing and ran outside to look. I saw the little tag on the package and flipped it over. On the back side there were no words, just a color picture of Emily out at the Lake. It blew me away.

When you go into any Sears store and go to the hardawre department, you’re likely to see a small display of newsletters aimed at kids. The newsletter is called “Woody’s Workshop” magazine. In it you’ll find, among other things, a cartoon of a project that kids can build with their parents. When we started this magazine for Sears 10+ years ago, Ian and Emily were small kids. If you look at the characters in the cartoon, you’ll see that Woody and Sandy are really Ian and Emily. So Emily lives on – in yet another place. In fact 500,000 other places every two months. nShe still gets to make fun of her brother and still gets her hands dirty with projects. It’s heartwarming to me to be able to bring her to life and share her with everyone

When my brother and Emily were gonig out, she came with our family to my grandparents hosue in Illinois. I didnt have anyone to hang out with because none of my cousins are my age, but Garrett was busy with a football game or something. Anyways, me and Emily spent the whoel day talknig standing in my grandma’s hallway and reallly getting to know each other. It was relaly fun. She told me a story about how she used to tell people that her dad started Culver’s the restaurant. I still think of that everytime I see it. Im sure I wasn’t her first choice to hang out with on a Saturday afternoon. I was 4 years younger than her and her boyfriend was in the hosue, but she still spent all afternoon. Emily was always there to make you feel loved just when you needed it.

I remember walking home from the bus after school one day, and Emily was going to my house. She pulled over and offered me a ride. Em was going to see my brother who she was gonig out with at the time. My house was only two blocks away, but I accepted. When I crawled up into the cow covered seats there was trash all over. McDonald’s cups, candy wrappers, ect. She apologized for the mess, but I didnt mind. We talked in those two blocks and got to know each other a little. My brother’s girlfriends have never really made an effort to get to know me, after all, I am just their little sister, but Emily did. She talked to me. And spent time with me outside of when she was with my brother. She was not just my brother’s girlfriend, but my friend.

Emily had a thing for shoes. It started when she was very young and would not let me put anything on her feet. If I could even get past her ability to curl her toes making it impossible to get shoes on her feet, she would whip those shoes off as soon as she could. Once when I was driving her to daycare, she was under 18 months, I was suddenly hit by first one shoe and then the other. When I finally stopped the car to turn and look at her she had the biggest smile on her face. I ended up carrying her A LOT. Now I look at her shoe collection and am amazed. She has bright yellow go go boots, platform shoes that no human could walk in, birkies, sandles, 5 pairs of tennis type shoes, and beautiful dress shoes to go with each of her dressy dresses. I wish I could wear these shoes but I am a full size smaller than Em’s feet. I think I will keep them anyway. She was such a foot person!!