**Written originally on Tuesday, edited and updated April 14, so there are details of her funeral here**
SubhanAllah, each soul really does have it’s time.
Today, a very dear friend of mine passed away at the age of 23. Her and I were best friends in high school. Every weekend we would stay at my house and take 3-4 hours just to get ready to go out. I remember how her hair was always perfect, and when I thought I had mine just right, I’d look at hers and start all over again…LOL. Same with make-up, hers was always so perfect and mne was, well not perfect. LOL. Anyone who knows her knows what I mean.
I never knew her to make an enemy. She consistantly was just super sweet, and ultra hilarious. At her funeral, her now-best friends reminded us all of her obssesion with animals and even further her strange obsession with cats. I told my hubby I think she is where I learned my love for cats from. I remember when we went to her house she had soooo many animals. As in a whole wall cage full of birds, something like 6 cats, one or two dogs, and that was just inside. If I remember correctly, her dad had chickens and other animals on her farm. She was always so kind with them and they all loved her so much!
Her personality was so quirky – she would say things you would never even think of! She was so beautiful yet so awkward and clumsy at times. You’d almost think she was all looks and no brain until she opened her mouth to speak. She would discuss deep issues such as religion, politics, family, divorce, etc. She wrote her thoughts down a lot as well. Now when I knew her she was just beginning this passion (as far as I know at least), when she was always so shy to show anyone her work. I felt so privileged that I read some of her poetry. Her girlfriends said something similar to this at her funeral. She really was quite eloquent and deep. She talked about love often, about the never ending search for it and its seeming unattainability.
Keep in mind this next part is my pre-Islam years. So after we were all dolled up, we would head out to these teenage dance clubs that were all over the city. Her and I both loved being in that social scene – knowing everyone and – of course – never paying to get in. She always used to laugh because in terms of alcohol I never much gave into my inhibitions. I was usually the one laughing at my drunk friends…LOL. She, on the other hand, loved anything and everything that would make the party better and more livelier! She was always so free and never felt constrained which was totally something I was jealous of at the time.
In grade 12 I had to switch schools, and we lost contact. Only in the past year did we start talking again via Facebook. It seemed her life was full of love from her girlfriends and sister, and busy with life and happiness! She was in school for Journalism (which is what she wanted to do from as far back as I can remember) and living life to it’s fullest.
Then, WHAM – I log onto Facebook today and I see all of our highschool friends with the status ‘RIP Candice’ and my jaw dropped. Once someone told me it was my Candice, I just began to cry and cry. I accept this is what is written for her, but it was just so shocked! Still don’t know what it was that took her life, but I am sure I will find out.
You never ever left my heart Candice. You never will.
SubhanAllah, I can’t wait until he is a daddy (well, Baba, actually).
