Jaimie and I became friends when we were just 15 years old, so I was lucky enough to have her by my side for 12 whole years. Just a couple weeks ago she was sitting on my couch when she came over to ask me to be one of her bridesmaids, and at 27, I was so thrilled for her and the love of her life. But the thing is, at 27 youve got your forever friends picked out and you assume youll be able to keep them until youre 90 and pushing each other around in wheelchairs doing wheelies (bc we all know how much she loved those). Thats what we always talked about and I never imagined it would be any other way. Jaimie was the friend that I needed at so many times in my life, and there was never a time that I needed her and she wasnt there. Whether it was just to support or encourage me, give me advice, or to laugh at me. She was the fun one (sorry Amanda). And the friend that regardless of what she had going on, she would make sure to send you that uplifting text you needed. But with how awesome she was, how easily being a great mother came to her, and how supportive she remained, the thing Ill miss most is her laugh. It might sound clich, but if you knew her laugh then you know its not. It was big and vibrant and LOUD and contagious. She brought an energy to the room that no matter how many people were in it, you always knew she was there. She backed her friends and family up to no end, and I am PROUD of who she was. She was also good for putting you in your place when it was necessary, and alwayssss making fun of you. I remember just this past Christmas me, Jaimie, Amanda, Cj, Chuck and Jason got all the kids together to bake Christmas cookies. Towards the end of the night I told them that we shouldve made it an ugly sweater party too. Well I was wearing a yellow sweater that I just so happened to love and Jaimie says, it looks like you already did make this an ugly sweater party. But one of my more fond memories of her is the time when we had a child development class together in high school and she came in on a super hot day wearing a hoodie bc she used an at home self-tanner that got ridiculously messed up. Or whenever Amanda would try to bring a new friend into the group and me and Jaimie would just sit back and roast them the whole time. They didnt stand a chance. It was always us. You know how they say you dont know what you got till its gone ? Well those that were close to Jaimie knew all along. We already knew how much we loved her and how special she was, and we made sure to tell her. So I can at least find comfort in that. But when something as catastrophic as this happens, theres always the before and after. There is no doubt that this is going to alter so many people in this room from the people we were before this happened, into the people we become after. The before and after version of us, after losing a soul as amazing as Jaimies, is inevitable. But we each have a piece of her that she gave to us, and we have to make sure to continuously share that with one another. Because the memories are what will hold us together.