What Do You Think? Could It Win A Contest? If Not, Help!?

“It’s not the events of our lives that shape us, but our beliefs as to what those events mean.” a quote by Tony Robbins. I don’t know a lot about this quote or what the quote means to anyone else, but I know what the quote is to me. Twelve little letter that make up the name of a notable human, who was once one of my best friends to not talking to death. Her name is Devon McKniff, the kind of person everyone should know. Our friendship went from being great friends to not even acknowledge each other. You’d think the day my family and I found out would be the worst of it, but it wasn’t. The day of the funeral was catastrophic, and never will I ever forget how this wonderful girl touched my life.
It was December 24, 2006, my family and I were sitting in the kitchen eating our cinnamon rolls talking about how excited we were for Santa to come when someone came knocking at the door. My mother was the one who answered the door; it was one of our neighbors. My mother was at the door for an eternity, all we heard was “Oh my God, oh my God.” She finally closed the door, walked into the kitchen, looked at all of us, and put her hand to her mouth and whispered “Devon, next door, died this morning in a car crash.” We sat in silence for about ten minuets taking it in. I was in fifth grade, and really had no idea what the word ‘dead’ meant, my one of my friends father died when we were younger and so did my grandfather, but never someone so young she was only seventeen. She was ejected from a pickup truck, just a little after two a.m. she was then hit by another car that came up on the scene. This changed my life for the good and the bad, the good: I now know that we don’t live forever, at anytime your life can be gone. The bad: it changed the way I viewed God, and life. I didn’t understand how he could just take someone, someone so young away from his/her friends and family. She was an only child, it made no since. Yes, she did make a mistake to get in the car with the driver drinking, who didn’t have a license. As much as I wish she did not die, without it, I would not be the person I am today. I believe this event has morphed me for the better. God has taught me that he only takes the best, and the best at the moment was Devon.
On December 28, 2006 was the horrendous, yet beautiful funeral. I remember the closed casket, the church full of crying teens and adults. I also remember standing the door way, crying my blue eyes out, when a woman I had no idea who she was stand next to me, and rub my back and whisper to me “She’s in a better place now, everything will be fine.” I later found out that it was McKniff’s Spanish teacher, it was her favorite class. The one moment that stuck me the most was when we were ready to walk out of the church, and they carried out her casket, while a boy in a uniform sang Wind Beneath My Wings, her parents were right behind. Her mother was being supported by her husband; Mrs. McKniff was hiding her face from the world that let her daughter die on the side of the road. I will forever have that picture burned in my mind.
Devon McKniff was the type of person, which I needed in my life. Having her death linger around my neighborhood, made me realize that life is short. This has changed my beliefs; from we are here for no reason to God has a plan for us, to change someone or the world. Devon McKniff taught me to keep everyone I know close to my heart and not take anything or anyone for granted because you never know when they will be gone.