I AM IN TOTAL SHOCK AND SADNESS. MY BEST FRIEND'S BROTHER HAS DIED SUDDENLY. WE'RE NOT EXACTLY SURE HOW AND WHY YET UNTIL THE AUTOPSY REPOT IS CONCLUDED NEXT WEEK. I FEEL THAT MY HEART HAS AN EMPTY SPOT. MINDY'S BROTHER WAS SO WONDERFUL AND UNIQUE. I KNOW I AM NOT YET READY TO WRITE ALL ABOUT IT UNTIL POSSIBLY AFTER XMAS (WHICH IS TODAY) BUT I JUST HAVE TO START TELLING MYSELF THAT HE HAS PASSED, AND THAT HE WAS GREATLY LOVED BY MANY, AND WILL BE GREATLY MISSED.

WILLIE, WAS ONLY 21. HE WAS VERY SPECIAL. HE WAS BORN WITH TREACHER COLLINS SYNDROME. I HAVE KNOWN HIM HIS WHOLE LIFE. HIS OLDER SISTER, MINDY IS MY VERY BEST FRIEND. WE'VE BEEN BEST FRIENDS SINCE OCT. 25TH 1985, WHEN WE WERE 7! I RECEIVED THE CALL FRIDAY MORNING AROUND 8AM FROM MINDY'S HUSBAND, PHIL. HE TOLD ME HE DIDN'T WANT TO TELL ME OVER THE PHONE THAT SOMETHING BAD HAPPENED. MY HEART SANK SO FAST! I THOUGHT IT HAD SOMETHING OBVIOUSLY TO DO WITH MINDY OR ONE OF THEIR TWO KIDS WHO ARE MY GODCHILDREN. WHEN HE SAID THAT WILLIE HAD PASSED AWAY, I FELT LIKE SOMETHING WAS TAKEN FROM ME. TO ME, WILLIE WAS KINDA LIKE MY BROTHER! I'VE KNOWN HIM LONGER THAN MY OWN BROTHER, AND BOTH OF THEM ARE THE SAME AGE. I GREW UP WITH THEIR FAMILY. WHAT THEY'VE BEEN THROUGH, I'VE BEEN THROUGH WITH THEM. IT'S ALWAYS BEEN LIKE THAT.

I CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE HOW THE REST OF THE FAMILY IS TAKING THE BLOW, ESPECIALLY THEIR MOM. SANDY HAS ALWAYS BEEN A STRONG MOTHER, ESPECIALLY WITH HIM BEING THE YOUNGEST OF 3 AND WITH A VERY RARE SYNDROME. I FEEL SO FAR AWAY, WHEN I'M ONLY 90 MINUTES AWAY. NOW I FEEL BAD THAT WE TURNED DOWN THE OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE BACK TO SPOKANE. I MEAN I KNOW THERE'S NOTHING THAT WOULD'VE OR COULD'VE CHANGED WHAT HAPPENED TO WILLIE, BUT AT LEAST I WOULD'VE BEEN ABLE TO COMFORT MY BEST FRIEND.

I THINK I WILL STOP WRITING FOR NOW AND CONTINUE LATER BEFORE I BREAK DOWN AGAIN.

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