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    Harper was startled awake by her ringing cell phone. It was her grandmother. She had already called three times and was still trying. Whatever she wanted must have been important. But Harper had other plans. She needed more sleep. She’d been out with friends the night before and didn’t get back to her dorm room until almost two o’clock that morning. Unfortunately for her, as soon as she closed her eyes again, her phone started ringing. Again. 
There were as many voicemails as there were missed calls on her phone. Some were from her grandma, but some were from friends she hadn’t spoken to in a while. In her worn out state of mind, this didn’t seem to be too big of a deal. She fell asleep after rejecting another of her grandma’s relentless calls. What was her problem this morning? 

Harper found herself having an odd dream. She was surrounded by people from her past and her whole family. They surrounded her, reaching out for her. Their outstretched hands all held different cellphones that seemed to be dialing her. Their screams kept growing louder and louder no matter how hard she tried to cover her ears. She could see her parents and grandparents getting closer to her while continuing to dial her number on their phones. They wouldn’t stop yelling her name, almost as if they were trying to get her attention even though she was looking each of them right in the face. Her grandma was the closest one to her at this point, and her hand was just a few inches from her. Just as she was about to grab Harper by the arm, she dialed her phone number again. This time Harper actually heard it ringing. 

She woke up breathing hard with her hand clapped to her chest. Her phone really was ringing again. She was beyond irritated at this point. She picked up her phone, ignoring the countless missed calls, voicemails, and text messages. She answered, breathless and cranky, “Yeah! I’m awake. What’s going on, grandma?”

Harper drew in a quick breath as her grandmother hesitated. “Have you, uh, listened to my messages, sweetie? It’s important.”

“I just woke up. Why…?”

Her grandma sighed loudly and said, “Harper, I’m so sorry. I wanted to give you the news before you saw it online or heard it from one of your friends. Your sisters couldn’t tell you. They asked me to.”

“Tell me what?” Harper asked, finally waking up and realizing the severity of the situation. Her grandma never called this many times unless something was wrong. “Is it grandpa? Is he in the hospital again? I can be home in an hour. Is he okay?”

“No, babe. It isn’t your grandfather. He’s fine. Don’t worry about us, Harper. But you should come home as soon as you can. You should be here with us… With your friends…” She drew out the last words longer than anyone normally would have. 

“Oh. Oh, my gosh. Is it my mom? What happened? Is she okay?”

“Harper. Listen. I’m so sorry to tell you, but you’ve lost another friend today. It’s Nick. He got in an accident early this morning. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, sweetie.”

Harper couldn’t breathe. Her grandma’s voice was still echoing in her ears. Nick. How could he just be gone? She could vaguely hear her grandmother continuing to apologize for her loss. She kept telling her how sorry she was and how everyone in the family would miss him too. She thought she heard her say something about funeral arrangements.

She interrupted her grandma by exclaiming, “Where was he? Was he drinking? Do you know what happened?”

Startled, her grandma grew quiet. “Yes, honey. I do. Nick had been out drinking with his sister for her birthday. They were in the city.”

“His sister’s birthday. So he was close by? He was here. He was here. By me. He was here and he didn’t call me for help. Why?”

Harper’s grandmother stuttered a little, “I don’t know, baby. I don’t know. I wish I did.” She began to cry quietly on the other end of the phone, “I wish I knew why, Harper…”

All of a sudden everything was black. Harper dropped her phone on the floor and fell on her knees. She was screaming so loud that her roommate Olivia ran out from the bathroom to check on her. By the time she got there, Harper had already passed out on the ground. Olivia could hear a voice yelling on the phone. 

Olivia quickly picked up Harper’s phone, immediately recognizing her grandmother’s voice, “Hi, Lucy. What’s going on? I think Harper must have blacked out. Is everything okay?”

Lucy filled Olivia in on what she missed. Lucy didn’t know Nick, but she knew how much Harper cared for him. From what Harper had told her, they’d been good friends since they were little kids. Olivia sat down the cold, hard floor of their dorm and stroked Harper’s long hair until she woke up. When she did, she looked up at Olivia’s sad face and prayed that this was all just a bad dream.

While it wasn’t a dream, the days leading up to the funeral were a blur. Harper wanted to be at home with her friends and family that were hurting too. But she couldn’t even leave her bed. She didn’t sleep, and when she did, she had the same nightmare as before. Everyone was surrounding her, reaching out for her. She didn’t eat, and when she tried, she got sick. She didn’t go to her classes for the next week. She remained in her dorm with Olivia, who didn’t go to her classes either. She stayed in their room with Harper to take care of her while she wasn’t able to take care of herself. Olivia had to remind her to get out of bed to shower and eat. She even had to make Harper brush her teeth because she would forget. By the time the funeral came around, Harper was barely even a person anymore. 

On that November morning, the last leaves were clinging tightly to the trees. It was cold and had been raining just moments before Harper got to the funeral home where she would watch one of her childhood best friends get buried. She couldn’t speak, or even cry, to the family members that sat around her. She had her hands clinched tightly to her long, black dress. Harper and her family were some of the first people to walk through the dark double doors of the funeral home. From the moment she sat down she kept her eyes tightly shut, hoping that maybe the tears wouldn’t be able to fall out from under her lashes. She sat quietly in the too-crowded room, surrounded by people she knew, but she didn’t open her eyes until she heard music begin to play in the background. She recognized the Avenged Sevenfold song. It was one of Nick’s favorites. They had gone to one of their concerts together a few years before. 

Harper opened her eyes to see a room full of people she knew from her past. There were old friends, family, and people she recognized to be Nick’s friends. There must have been one hundred people crammed into that room, and there were many more still fighting a long line to get in and say their last words. There was a crowd gathered around the casket that Harper couldn’t make herself look at when she first arrived. Seeing all those people who must have loved and cared for Nick as must as she had must have given her strength. She got up and walked with the rest of her family to say her last goodbye to him. She slowly walked down the aisle next to his casket where his family stood to greet the people coming to see him. She watched as the people in front of her shook hands with his mother, father, and sister. When it came time for her to do the same she paused for a moment before hugging each one of them, probably longer than anyone else. She let her tears fall, but she did so gracefully. It wasn’t until she had reached the casket that she could no longer control her sobs. 

Harper looked down at her best friend’s body. Up until that moment, she had assumed that she’d be afraid to look at him. She thought that he wouldn’t look the same as he had used to. But she noticed that he looked handsome. She imagined him with too much makeup, and she thought that he might look sad. But his mouth seemed to form a small smirk under his unruly red beard. The little smile didn’t make things better, and it didn’t bring him back to life. But it gave her a little bit more courage to stay and listen to Nick’s mother give the sweetest, most tearful eulogy that she had ever heard.

His mom spoke of all of the strange things Nick loved to do. She mentioned that he had recently started going to church, as well as making bread and jam. She talked about the many years that he was an Eagle Scout and helped the younger kids earn their badges. Nick’s mother shared all of the love she had for him with everyone there that day. She cried, but she said that this had to be God’s plan for Nick. 

“It isn’t what any of you want to hear, and it wasn’t what I want to hear either. But the truth is that he’s gone. My sweet Nicky is gone too soon. God must have loved Nicky so much that He wanted him to come home to Him sooner. But just look around. Look at how many people came. Look at how many lives Nicky touched. He did this. Each and every one of you loved him for some reason or another, and that love was strong enough to bring you here. I’m shocked, but I am so thankful. I didn’t even know my Nicky knew this many people. This is what he would have wanted. He would have wanted all of you here to say goodbye with a smile on your face. He meant something to all of you, just like you all meant something to him. Nick was so special. He was beyond selfless. He’d give a stranger the shirt off his back before he let them be unhappy. He’d buy you a beer or make you some bread. Nicky would do anything just to get a smile. He made sure everyone was happy before he ever thought about himself. So, I’m so glad that all of you are here to think of him. He’d be so grateful that each of you came. So, thank you. Thank you all. 

Harper was crying. Tears were streaming down her makeup-less face. She hung on every word Nick’s mom spoke. Harper knew she was right. Every one there knew and loved Nick, and that was all anyone could ask for then. She looked around and took in each of the faces that were present, and she knew that each of them were there to share their pain and mourning with each other. But she also knew now that they were there to tell their different stories about Nick. 

After his mom was done speaking, a single line was formed for everyone to exit the funeral home. Harper, holding her grandmother’s hand, noticed that everyone that had went outside was standing around the hearse with a beer in their hand. Almost everyone held up their drinks and toasted. They drank to Nick, and she knew he would have loved that. She watched as some of her closest friends and relatives dried their eyes and began to tell their favorite tales of Nick and his shenanigans. A smile started to spread across her face as she listened to some guys Nick went to high school with tell everyone about a time that he changed the background on every school desktop to his face so it looked like he was licking the screen. He was that kind of person, and Harper was so thankful that that was how he would be remembered. 

Eventually she caught herself telling her favorite story about Nick as well. She started out quiet, but once she knew people were listening and actually wanted to hear what she had to say, she grew more confident. She spoke of the last concert they went to together. The two of them had went to see Avenged Sevenfold a few years back with a group of friends. Harper and Nick had sat in the backseat of Nick’s Jeep listening to their two friends argue about who got to drive home. They were screaming and yelling and Harper and Nick were in the back fighting about how was stronger. They tried to fight each other, but really just ended up laughing and mocking their other friends.

It was hard for Harper to come home and see so many people she loved and cared for hurting. But she had a feeling that Nick was watching over her. When she was done telling her story, she made sure to add, “If Nicky were here, he never would have let me tell that. He would have been so upset because he wouldn’t have wanted our friends to know we were making fun of them.” Right as she said that, it began to rain. Just a light drizzle, nothing to harmful. But she thought it was Nick, getting her back for telling that story to all their old friends.

To the Best Friend at Another College

To my best friend and other half,

You may only be a few hours from me, but there are days that distance feels more like a whole world away. But there are some things that I want you to know.

First, don't ever think that I have forgotten you. In fact, I hope you know that's it's the exact opposite. I talk about you constantly. I talk to people that don't even know who you are, and I tell them stories like "This one time..." and "You won't believe it but..." You come up in almost every conversation I have, no matter who I'm talking to. I hope you do the same about me. I am always wondering if you tell the same crazy stories that I do about our friendships to other people while you're at school too. Do you tell them about that one time we went to that one party? Or that one time that we laughed about that one girl? Because I do.

Please don't let your mind wander and assume that I've replaced you with new "college friends." Sure, I've made plenty of friends here. But none of them are you. None of them will ever be you. There isn't another person in the universe that could ever replace you. You're my one and only, and I don't want that thought to ever slip from your mind.

I know we don't talk all the time, but I wish we could. There will never be a time that I ignore you on purpose. If I could talk to you every second of every day I would. Unfortunately, college comes with work. A lot of work. I don't always have my phone, and I know that I should. So, for that, I am truly sorry. I constantly wish I had more time for our long conversations filled with gossip and stories about our other friends back home. I know you have the same problem, and you're just as busy as I am. I always catch myself thinking that life would be so much easier if I could just keep you in the closet of my dorm room, or if I could live on your bedroom floor at school. A girl can dream, right.

Lastly, please don't ever forget just how much I cherish you and our friendship. You truly are my one and only. Every cliche out there applies to our friendship. You're my best friend, you're my other half, you're the blond to my brunette, and you're the better part of me. You make me a better, more fun and outgoing person. If I didn't have you in my life, I'd be absolutely lost without you by my side. You helped me all throughout high school, and you're doing the same now that I'm in college.

I'm constantly wishing I could keep you in my dorm room forever without anyone asking too many questions.

Sincerely,

Your other half.

What Labor Day Means to This Galesburg, Illinois Native

To most high school and college kids today, Labor Day is just one more day of the school year that they have off. But in reality, Labor Day is a very necessary and meaningful holiday in the United States. It is dedicated to the hard, social and economic work of Americans. To me, however, it's even more. It's somewhat of a day of traditions among my family.

My grandfather has been a part of Local 25 (Plumbers and Pipefitters) for as long as I can remember. Each year, most of my family, along with most of the rest of the population of Galesburg, attends the Labor Day Parade. Not me, though. I almost never get to watch any of the parade, but I can't complain. I'm normally in it. It may not seem like much, but every year I get to throw candy for Local 25. It may not seem like much, but the smiles on the faces of the children who come to the parade with their families when they see us walking down the street is heartwarming. Each kid gets more and more excited as the multitude of Local 25 supporters walk down the street with aprons and buckets filled to the brim with the kind of candy that it seems like you can only get at parades.

A lot of people might find this tedious. Why walk in a parade when you can just watch it? To me it's a lot more than that, though. Not only do I get to make tons of kids happy and hyper with sugar, but I also get to do it alongside some of the most important people in my life. My grandparents have also always been a big part of the parade for years. And, if it weren't for them, I never would have gotten to be involved in the parade at all. One of my favorite parts of Galesburg's Labor Day Parade used to be watching my grandparents drive their big green John Deere Gator, with the back overflowing with every kind of candy imaginable, down the road. All of the people walking for Local 25, kids and adults both, would follow his Gator to refill their aprons and buckets with candy to throw to all the kids. While my grandparents no longer drive the Gator during the parade, they always stay involved. Whether they're just buying candy to throw or they're on a parade float, they always stay loyal to Local 25 and the Labor Day Parade, and so do I.

Even though the parade has been something of a tradition for my grandparents and me, what comes after is equally as important to us. Each year after the parade, there is a big picnic for all of the Local 25 members and supporters at Lake Story. It's there that I get to spend the rest of my day with my family. There is always the most delicious lunch and dessert to look forward to. With what seems like a never ending supply of hotdogs, brats and burgers you're probably asking yourself how it could possibly get any better. Let me tell you. Every year I enter one of the many raffles, and every year I (almost) win some kind of prize. But even better than all of this, I get to spend my entire day with two of the most important and influential people in my life. My grandparents, and Labor Day, are beyond special to me. They started this tradition for me, and I intend to continue to carry it out for many years to come.

So, this Labor Day, remember those who work hard for you and for others. Labor Day is more than just a day off from classes. Enjoy the day, and most importantly, spend it with those who are most significant to you.

It's the Little Things

 When I went to college, the only thing I was concerned about was being a new freshman. I wanted to do all of the typical, stereotypical first-year-of-college activities. My only plans were to become besties with my new roommate, meet new people, stay out late, go to frat parties, etc. What I did not plan on, of course, was meeting the love of my life when I was 18 because, let’s be honest, the last thing anyone wants to do is settle down the second they get to college. Settling down means no more strange dates with people your roommate set you up with, and no more (attempted) flirting at parties. But, when cupid strikes, the only thing you can do is give in.

Toward the end of my first semester of college, I had been hanging out with a good friend of mine for quite some time. He just so happened to be pretty close with a guy that I had my sights set on for a while. However, this guy I was so into had later started dating one of my girlfriends. Not wanting to be the homewrecker type, I left him alone, and I tried my best to keep my mind off of him for months. Sadly for them, and luckily for me, the two of them ended things when the semester was coming to a close. I didn’t plan to intrude; I merely wanted to make it clear that I was a good friend and source of comfort. I wanted to lend a helping hand while he was hurting. I had no intention of being a rebound, and I made that perfectly clear from the beginning.

However, the two of us began to spend an increasing amount of time together. Finally, just before our semester exams, we went on a real date together at the cutest little Italian restaurant. My heart was beating out of my chest all night, as I assumed that would be the night he finally asked me to be his girlfriend. But, you know what they say about people who assume… So, I was a nervous wreck for nothing. He didn’t ask me to go out with him that night. I became highly discouraged about the whole thing. I realized I made it clear that we needed to take things slow because of his recent relationship, but I couldn’t help but go over the entire night over and over again in my mind. What could I have possibly done wrong? I thought it had went very well and, typically, my anxiety took over. I no longer had control over my own thoughts about the night. In my mind, everything had gone wrong: he no longer wanted anything to do with me, and he hated our first night out.

As it turned out, my anxiety was all kinds of wrong about that night. I only knew this because, about a week later (closer to Christmas), he took me to the most beautiful park, overflowing with twinkling lights. There, he gave me a handwritten letter that had the lyrics to George Straight’s “Check Yes or No” neatly written at the bottom. It was the most magical night I had ever encountered. That night, I felt as though I was the star in one of those sweet rom-coms that are always shown on the Lifetime channel during the holidays. It was perfect. He was perfect. We were perfect.

From then on, we were inseparable. If we weren’t at home or in class, we were together. I was always in his dorm, and he was always in mine. The only problem was our upcoming winter break; that meant almost two months apart from each other. We realized it would be hard, but we didn’t know just how difficult it would be. We had just started dating, so we were still in the honeymoon phase of our relationship. Being apart was not in the rule book for the honeymoon stage. But, that is how I eventually learned he was the one for me.

Being away from him tore me apart. But, that's not what made me realize how perfect he was for me. It was the little things I began to notice while we were away from each other; it was the way he said my name, the tone of his voice. It was clear, just from his voice, he was missing me just as much as I was missing him. It was the way he did everything in his power to spend time with me. Not only that, it was the way he spent that time with me. He made sure I felt special the whole time we were together, even if it was only for a few hours at a time. Then again, he always made me feel special. He still does. But it was the way he held me, too; his goodbyes. Each time we had to part, we never knew when we would see each other again, so he kissed me like it'd be the last time he ever did. He held me closer, and he held me tighter. He made me feel his love in a way that I never even imagined possible.

It was over that winter break that I knew he was my forever. He was my future.

Since then, we've only grown stronger. He has done nothing but reassure me that he is the man for me. He's constantly making me feel like I am capable of anything with him, and I truly believe that. He makes the bad good, and he makes the good even better. Whether we're out on a fancy date or we're sitting on the couch, munching on snacks, watching movies in our pajamas, he always makes me feel loved and wanted. He never doubts me, and he supports every decision I make, even if he isn't sure about it. He knows I can take on anything, and I know he'll be by my side through it all. But, most importantly, he always, always makes me feel loved, like I don't have a worry in the world. That's how I know he's the one.

My Parents Are My Best Friends

Most girls grow up in one of two ways; a Mommy's girl or a Daddy's girl. I, however, am stuck in the middle. I am an only child, and in my almost 20 years of life I have been blessed with two parents who I share an unbreakable bond with. For as long as I can remember, my mom and dad have been my best friends.

While I was born in July of '96, just three years prior my sister was born in the same month. Her name was Molly, and she was one of the most beautiful baby girls I have ever laid eyes on, although, some might say that I'm biased on that subject. My sister was born prematurely, and the day she was born, she fit into the palm of my Dad's hand. She may have only lived 10 days on this earth, but she will be loved forever.

I'd like to think that Molly is a big contributor to the special type of love and friendship that I share with my parents. If it weren't for her, there's a good chance that I wouldn't be here today. My mom has openly admitted more than once that she was never too fond of the idea of having children, at least not until my oldest cousin was born and she became an aunt. However, losing Molly was a tragedy for not only my parents, but my whole family. So when I was born, things were a little different. My mom and dad held me tighter. Now, at 20, they still hug me a bit harder and a bit longer than normal each time I leave, even if I'm only going to the grocery store. And for that I am eternally grateful.

Knowing that I shouldn't be an only child is painful, but it's just as hard for my parents. No matter the circumstance, I consider myself lucky to have the wonderful parents that I do. Not many people, teenagers especially, can say that their parents are their closest friends and the first people they run to, whether it be good news or bad.

Growing up, I spent all my time with family, more specifically, my parents. Some of my fondest memories center around the drives to and from wherever we were going on any given day. I remember the drives more than the actual places. The best and most important thing to me back then, and now, was cruising in the car with every window down and the radio turned up as far as it would go. Most people do this with their piers. But, I did it with my dad, and that's even better. We always had '80s hair bands pounding their music through the speakers. Motley Crue, Poison, Kiss, Def Leopard, you name it, we listened to it and sang along. And by sang along, I mean screamed every word as loud as possible, right along with the music.

My mom was the same way, only we bonded over typical girl things like shopping, gossip, and emotional TV shows. Especially the "Gilmore Girls" and "Friends." We would watch episode after episode, quoting every line until we made my dad want to pull his hair out. We would (and still do) quote "Friends" like it was some secret, inside joke that we had. The lines that we recite, even now, are ones that only true "Friends" fans would know. The line we most commonly scream is, "PIVOT," from the episode "The One with the Cop." It never fails; people who aren't super fans like us look at us like we have six eyes and tentacles for arms.

I have the two most perfect parents in the world. They have never once questioned me or stopped supporting me in any of my decisions. The two of them are constantly there when I need a shoulder to cry on or a hand to hold. They're always around for me to scream my good news to. They are the two people in the whole world that I know will only ever constantly send praise my way, even when I don't deserve it. I will never stop being thankful for all that they have done for me.