Her 30th b-day party had to be a good one. Every party for her had to be a good one. I loved that. I loved making her feel special and celebrating each year with as many people surrounding her as possible. There is nothing she loved more than being surrounded by people she loved. This party was just that. I remember talking with her after the party, she kept talking about how much she just enjoyed walking around the suite and popping into different conversations and getting to spend time with everyone there. I rented out a room at the Ritz-Carlton residential suites, and invited her closest friends and family Her and I went to dinner just around the corner from the hotel a couple hours before the party started. While sitting in a glass covered patio the rain began to pour down and we just starred at each other and talked about life. Life had been really heavy for the last few weeks due to health issues within her family and even her own health issues. We knew we would get through it all and we were just happy to get a break and enjoy each other, our friends, and our city.

She passed away a few days after this party. I will never forget how perfect the party was and how beautiful, stunning and graceful she was all night. I don’t need these pictures to remember any of that. Those images are seared into my mind in the best possible way. It was a night of Joy. A night of Hope.