Nicole, My Soul 2.9.2008

Nicole, my soul.
Current mood: calm

Today is the fourth anniversary of one of my best friends passing. There is rarely a day that goes by that I dont think about her. She is an incredible influence on my life. I wear a blue bracelet in her memory and it may not be much but it's what I have left of her. It blows my mind that time goes by so quickly. I can recall the first time I heard about her and who she was and knew instantly that my whole family was going to be a part of hers. Her stepdad coached D.C United and her whole family was a soccer family. Much like my own. Their talents and experience in the soccer world outweighed ours {except my brother Billy's unmatched ability in the sport}, but there was a bond instantly formed between her, her brother and me and mine. Her parents and mine. She was unlike any other friend I have had and I am thankful for that. She was going to make me a better person whether I liked it or not. She just happened to speed up the process the moment she left this earth. She will always be credited with the good I do in this world.

I can't grasp the fact that she is gone and has been for four whole years. Luckily I know that she sits and watches over me. A presence best described as discerning.

She was someone that in life made me think about what kind of person I wanted to be and in death has shaped the person I am. She was 19 years old when mine and many worlds were shattered. I will always remember the gut wrenching day that February 9th turned into for me. She had so much to give, so much talent, so much of everything. It seems unfair that that her youth was filled with potential and yet she wasn't allowed to continue her journey that would have surely changed this world for the better. Fortunately I have found that she is living inside of many people now and has inspired enough people to carry on the good she was going to do. I hope that I can live up the her spirit and pass on what she believed.

Every April there is a 5k fundraiser in her name. Ironic because she was not a runner to say the least. However, the money is raised for the Nicole Megaloudis Foundation. With the funds they raise, scholarships are provided to deserving student athletes. She also had a grand scheme of orphanges in Africa and goodwill across the world. We continue to seek out other places to bestow the magic of Nicole.In a matter of weeks I am going to start fundraising for this event. This year will be different. I have decided to run the 5k. You may ask what I did in years past if not running. I, like Nicole am not much of a runner. I chose year after year to embody her and walk/jog/run/complain until I decided I wanted to stop. This year however, I will run it and I will be reaching out to every resource I have {you all } to raise as much as I can before April 27th.

Her motto was "make it happen" and I recently stumbled upon an incredible quote that will motivate me to stop being a dreamer and be more like Nicole...

"Those who dream by the night in the dusty recesses of their mind. Awake to find that all was vanity. But the dreamers of the day are dangerous, for they may act their dreams with open eyes and Make It Happen."

This 5k is only in preparation for the Triathlon I plan to compete in later this year. More on that later!

I will leave you with the poem I wrote the day after Nicole Marie Megaloudis left this world and became my guardian angel.

My angel

I can't seem to shed anymore tears
but believe me I am crying
I hope you had no fears
while you laid there all alone and dying
You've finally gotten your wings
and now your soaring above
I'll remember your smile among many things
but mostly your whole hearted love
If you thought I missed you then
it's nothing compared to now
I'll eventually get back to life again
although I really can't see how
I now have an angel and I am glad its you
I knew you were bound for heaven but I never thought so soon
Our friendship is best described as true
and I'll think of you everytime the sun fades for the moon
You were my girl with that damn ponytail
and you could play soccer pretty well
Always there with words of wisdom, you'd never fail
What I am trying to say is I love you Nicole, if you couldn't tell.