Sunday, February 4, 2024
Kelli and I met during her college years at Stockton, and I learned two major lessons through her life: one, get your work done before play, and two, do not fear death. Regarding lesson one, I was quite a slacker in my early college years, and meeting Kelli was a revelation. Her work ethic was exceptional and impressive; I’d never seen anything like it. If I’d invite her out on a night when she had work to do, she’d respond with, “Nope, I have a test tomorrow; I have to study.” But once her work was done, she was so contagiously happy and enthusiastic. My fondest memories of my time with her include going dancing at Omar's in Margate; hanging in her freshman dorm in C Court at Stockton; driving in her blue convertible to the shore, listening to Boston or Journey (of course!) – our shore town of choice in the summer was always Sea Isle City, where we would sneak into the Ocean Drive or LaCosta with fake ids, or as others mentioned, sometimes just a flip of her hair, a tilt of her head, and her beautiful smile would get us in. She had a way…I can’t quite describe it, but the closest I can get to it was that she had an aura, an energy, that always lit up a room. I am going to miss her smile, her cheerful voice, her way. She was filled with a vitality and positivity that was so uniquely…Kelli. My beautiful, dear friend.
I am so grateful for all the fun that we shared in our younger years. I am also grateful that we stood by each other's side during some of the most important chapters of our lives – from exchanging vows on our wedding days to celebrating the arrival of our children. Then, as happens to so many of us, we lost touch. But in the last year we reconnected – we laughed and laughed, remembering the good times, and we cried too, about some of the lows in our lives, and her long battle with breast cancer. This brings me to lesson two, Kelli taught me not to fear death. She told me many times that she was not afraid to die, and I was in awe of how she channeled her strong work ethic into the relentless pursuit of fighting cancer so she could stay here for as long as possible for those she loved, especially her absolute pride and joy: Devin. I am thankful that we reconnected this year, to have had her as a friend, and carry the lessons she taught me with gratitude.
