I remember very well this girl in my fifth grade class. Her name was Krysty. I wasn't overcome with dreams of romance and desperate longing when I saw her, not because she wasn't pretty or wasn't smart. She was all those things a boy wants. And there inlied the problem. She was too perrfect, and such perfection was unattainable for a humble boy. But girls laugh, and boys dream. Lucky was I that she knew my name!

As the years past and we grew, first into the akward years of junior high, and then into the maturity that comes with adult situations thrust upon children in the teen years, Krysty kept her grace, unlike so many I knew. I can't remember her not smiling or laughing. Fun followed Krysty like a shadow ready to play.

Make no mistake, Krysty was mature back then. She knew what she wanted in life. And life gave it to her. With a presence like hers, the people around her would reflect her energy, back to her and among themselves. Everyone she met became an instant genuine friend.

Krysty was one of the smartest girls to grace our halls. She graduated 6 months early and it was bittersweet that such a person would not walk with her class, having made such an impression on her peers and educators. She was ready for life, and made the next step. She moved out of state to attend college and become the person that would surley change the world. When she moved she left countless broken hearts, proud teachers, and lonely friends.

In the spring that year, I remember too, the day I learned that a life like hers can be exchanged for a few drinks at the bar, and a short ride home.