Annie: Contagious Smile Through Tough Times

9th of January 2019

This is a hard one to write. My longtime childhood friend, Annie, was diagnosed with cancer last year. I don't want to give away too much of her medical information because I want to respect her privacy. However, I want to reflect on our friendship over the years. When I say longtime childhood friend, I mean just that. We went to the same elementary school. We had the same babysitter. We went to the same middle school. We went to the same high school. Hell, we both even went to Iowa State University. I'm not sure what dorm she stayed in my first year there, but we ate in the same dinner hall. She might have worked at Hy-Vee the same time I did as well. So many people worked there from our high school, it's hard to remember who did.

Annie always had a smile on her face and was full of energy. She has kept that smile despite this diagnosis. Her energy might have gone down, but she still has fight in her. The last time I saw her was at a softball game. She was a great softball player and always loved playing. I remember that from growing up with her. My sister played a few years, and I remember seeing Annie at the fields all the time. The one thing I'll remember about Annie was she always put others before herself. When I was in the hospital in August 2018, despite the treatments she went through, she still came to visit me. I almost cried, I was so happy to see her. The smile was there, and I even cracked a smile. I had forgotten how contagious her smile had been. Looking at this pic, I'm reminded every time about how contagious her smile is. I've heard many excuses from friends as to why they didn't visit (even though I didn't ask), and I mostly got "hospitals freak me out." Well, I know being in the hospital is the last thing Annie wanted to do with her day. I'm sure she wanted to leave right away after her treatment. However, she came to see me anyway. I'll cherish that moment for a long time. In writing this, Annie has and always will be in my heart. Some of my best memories from my childhood are because of her and her brother Kevin. I can only keep her and her family, especially her great husband Joe, on my mind through this tough ordeal. I write this in purple because purple is her favorite color. I've worn purple all this week both to the gym and work to show my support for her.

I haven't given up hope. Don't get that idea. I'm writing this because I care a lot about her and her family. Like I said, she contributed to much of my childhood. We grew up in the same neighborhood. I want her to know she has a great support system behind her that are hoping for the best. I can only say that I have nothing but love and respect for her. I wish for the best for her. She's always in my thoughts.