July 3, 2007, was the day that took the life of my cousin Stacy. She was 19 years old when her car was struck by another, and burst into flames. At her funeral –rather, the celebration of her life— there were more than 1,000 people, and not enough chairs. The amount of people that she impacted was unbelievable.

Stacy and her family moved here when she was starting 8th grade. This was when we started getting close. Stacy, my sister, and I would hang out after school and work on our homework, though most of the time we would find each other laughing until we were sick. My family on my father’s side is all very close in age. The oldest is 21, and the youngest is 13. The impact Stacy left on all of us is something that we could learn from.

Stacy was always there when you needed her. Like the time when I was having a fight with my sister, she was there to stand by my side. Stacy would comfort me with her kind words, and even scripture. When she was making you feel better, she would tell jokes to lighten up the situation, and put a smile on my face. Stacy taught me not to criticize, because no matter how much you may not like a person, there is always something good about them.

“Don’t be judgmental!” she would say. “They were put on this earth for a reason.” And by saying this, she makes an excellent point.

Stacy touched people in her lifetime, and sets a positive role for someone to follow. The fact that she impacted that amount of people in her 19 years of life is astonishing. Just like Stacy, I strive to make people happy by putting smiles on their faces. She told me, no matter what, I could put a smile on her face, and I am always there to make her laugh.

July 3rd, 2007 is a day we will remember, but it’s a day of remembrance, and someone whom I reflect.