One year later, and it still hurts.

It has been said that time heals all. I disagree. I think that time simply fades the wounds aesthetically, but they never really go away. It was a year ago today that one of my closest friends, Katie Prosapio, moved from earth to heaven quickly and tragically. I paid tribute to her last week shortly after the accident, but I do not believe that one page does enough justice. I do not believe that what I am about to write will do enough justice either, but it is my humble homage to an amazing person.

As I thought about what I wanted to say, a lot of memories came to mind. I could talk about Katie's fierce competitive drive, to the point that she would actually play basketball against the boys at Stone. One time she actually wound up blocking my shot, but don't worry, the next shot she took I sent flying 15 feet across the court. That's how she wanted me to play. She didn't want any special treatment because she was a girl. But that's not what I'm going to remember the most.

I could also talk about how Katie was the kind of friend who knew when you needed a good kick in the pants and gave it to you -- literally. One night after church service I was whining about something to someone when I felt a strong boot directly to my posterior. I turned around, and there was Katie laughing. She knew exactly what I needed at that moment. She always knew when somebody needed that special something to get them going in the right direction. Again, that's not what I will take from Katie's life.

I could talk about how she played life by her set of rules. She threw herself a 16th Birthday Party almost three months after the fact. We all went to the bowling alley and had the time of our lives celebrating something that had long already happened. When she was opening her gifts, she even had the audacity to say "This doesn't feel like my birthday." with a straight face. That particular event could probably epitomize Katie, but it won't.

There are two things about Katie that I'll never forget. She loved God, and she loved people. Really, that's all that's important, and she realized that. She was willing to follow after God with everything she had, and even talked about how awesome it would be to die for the faith. I believe she was indeed a martyr; her life was sacrificed so that others might truly experience the fullness of God. She also loved people. Boy, did she love people. I don't know if I've met anyone since with such a capacity to care for people. Her ability to make people feel comfortable (and occasionally uncomfortable) was uncanny.

I believe that Katie's life can be summed up in this statement: She loved God, and she loved people. I miss her dearly, but I know that she's where she wanted to be all along.