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It’ so easy to talk about how wonderful a person was after they die. But Ashley really was special. I knew this when she was alive, though. She taught me so many things through the 4 years I was lucky enough to call her a friend; And much more bitter than sweet, taught me many things through her death as well. Ashley’s death hit our town hard. It was less than two weeks after High School graduation and we were all getting into the swing of summer. I woke up just like any other day; ready to work another shift at the local ice cream shop. I checked my phone to find about twenty frantic text messages from friends, each one with the same gist. “Have you heard from Ashley?” “Ashley is missing, and suspected to have been taken hostage by her ex-boyfriend who is armed.” I was so panicked but like the rest of my friends,(more hopefully than logically,) we just assumed it was crazy Ashley staying out too late as usual, so before I left the house I told my mom to not text me my whole shift. “I don’t want to know any news either way, just let me get through my shift.” A shift I mostly went to as a distraction. As usual my mom didn’t listen to me and she came into work and told me that they found Ashley’s body. The second she told me, my legs went weak and I just started to uncontrollably cry. As one can assume, the next week up until her funeral was excruciating. Ashley had so much life to her which is why it was that much harder that her funeral was open casket. Her once glowing freckled face and multi colored eyes were lifeless and dull. It’ often easy to get caught up in how she died, too soon and violently, which is why I like to take the time to really reflect on her impact on me and remember just how alive she once was. Ashley had so much love in her, you could practically see it ooze out of her when she smiled. She didn’t take things for granted and lived to the fullest, which almost makes me think that she knew her time was limited. Compared to me, who I would describe as a drifter, she was committed to each day and making it as meaningful as possible. Which I now especially try to follow suit. Just remembering her makes me want to be better. Serve a purpose, even something as simple as trying to add love and positivity to any space like she did. It was always the simple things that made her happy, which is why in a world full of cynical people she was like a glass of cool water; refreshing and pure. Her death for me reiterated the realization that we’re not all guaranteed a full 80 years on this earth and it made me realize just how much more sense it made to live like Ashley. She was magnetic and made such an impression on everyone who she met. She will be missed, but she did not die without making an impact. Her constant positivity and love, as small as it sounds, did so much good. The world is a better place because of Ashley Marie Doolittle; her memory continues to inspire me and the people who knew her.