I met Kara in 1995 when I moved to Baltimore. I'll have to admit, she was one intimidating person at first! She didn't like me much because she thought I was a snob. I just thought she was just a mean kid from Camp Tomahawk...surely we wouldn't be friends ever!

Little did we know that a year later, we'd become friends that would share priceless moments of friendship, laughter, tears, summers at Camp Tomahawk, getting in trouble together, pain, not speaking to each other, a trip to Florida, and countless numbers of phone calls and text messages throughout the course of the past 13 years.

We talked on the phone a few weeks ago...but little did I know that when I said "I'll call you next week", when we were ending our conversation, that I would never have the opportunity to talk to my friend again. Unfortunately, Kara's life was cut way too short. She passed away unexpectedly on Saturday morning.

A young, 29 years old... it just doesn't seem fair.
Why? Why did this have to happen? Why did she have to be so sick? Why didn't I call her back when I said I would?

Kara was my "dawg" (as we called each other). Maybe I wasn't always the best friend that I could be to her...but I hope that she knows that I loved her like a sister and that she meant so much to me, and that I miss her already.


I found a blog that I wrote about her a few years ago when she was first diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis...

"Crazy & Cool"-

I talked to my dear friend Kara today . She has been sick with Auto-Immune Hepatitis for the past two years. Recently, they told her that she has cirrhosis of the liver and that most likely, a liver transplant will be needed. She called me today to tell me that she was in the hospital again. This seems to be a monthly ritual lately. She spent a week and a half in the hospital during Thanksgiving, and there is a good possiblity that they are going to have to send her to a hospital in Baltimore during Christmas. She is so stubborn and I know she will fight with the doctors about going there on Christmas. I am sad for Kara. She is only 26 years old. She doesn't deserve to have to put up with this illness. I wish that she would heal so that she could get back to being herself again. Kara has so much potential.....I just wish that she were able to put it to use.

Kara is one of my best friends; even though we are TOTAL opposites. No matter what, when we're together, we LAUGH. No matter what kind of mood I'm in, if she calls, I know I'm going to laugh! Kara didn't like me when we first met. She thought I was a snob. (I'm just shy! Really! LOL) That was about 10 years ago when I first moved to Maryland. We worked at summer camp and became friends; with the exception of one summer when I told her to stop being a "royal bitch!!!" (Everyone's jaw dropped and they thought she was going to kick my butt!) We grew close over the years, and even closer the summer that we went to Orlando for our Girl's Week of Fun! That was the weekend that we were labled as "The Cool One" and "The Crazy One". I'll let you decide for yourself which one I was.

So I don't know if Kara is reading this, but if so; I love ya DAWG! And I hope that you get better real soon. Remember: we've got friends in low places!!! And also, remember: marriage is overrated...I'm gonna be a bigamist, momma! LOL :)




I hope that Kara is looking down and smiling right now as I type this...

Kara, I love ya dawg!