My next boyfriend will never be able to meet my mom or my grandmother. He’ll never fully understand how close my bond with my grandmother was; simply because it was a “you had to be there” relationship.
One of the hardest realities you can face after a loss is the realization that anyone new in your life will never be able to see firsthand how amazing your loved one was. If you’re reading this now, chances are you’re the one who won’t get to show off your mom, your best friend, or your brother.
Today I learned it’s also really hard to be in the other person’s shoes — to wish you really knew someone who is no longer around.
For me, it’s someone I found inspiring from afar and who I kept putting off emailing until I found a better reason or a better time. She passed away on Sunday. She had been, unknowingly to many, suffering from cancer.
I first came into contact with this amazing human being when I was a part of Do Something’s Youth Advisory Council a few years ago. She had a great sense of humor, a deep understanding of teenagers, and a desire to help change the world, above all. And, she did. This Do Something Facebook post commemorating all of her achievements really sums up how she was an amazing person all around. It also makes you wish you had the chance to know her before her time was up.
I didn’t get my coffee date with Crystal Ruth Bell, but in her memory I’ll always try to be as gracious as she was. I’ll keep making people laugh and I’ll try to be the person I wish she would have gotten to know.
Rest easy, Crystal. You’ve left behind hearts you’ve touched simply by being who you were. Your legacy will live on.
Image: Do Something Facebook
