Death Stops at Nothing.

Death waits for no one.

No age

No special moment in time.

I hate the phrase the good die young. It implies you shouldn’t be good to die young. But I know that’s not what it means.

I’m frustrated and emotional and I’m trying to come to terms with things not meant to be understood but accepted. I know better but sometimes I can’t help it.

Em, formally known as Emalee Formica died in a car accident yesterday.

I just learned of the news today while on break working this morning.

Her boyfriend posted the tragic news on our SCAD Lacoste Facebook page.

I met her just this summer in France. We had class together, critiqued each other had some fun moments late nights in the lab it was great. Everyone in Lacoste knows how much of a family we became despite who hung out with who. Everyone meshed for the most part.

Em lived a fulfilling light and I can only say that based on the images she left behind on her Instagram, Facebook, and the art work she shared in class. She came to Lacoste with her boyfriend Adam and I admired their love and relationship. They were that couple that seemed confidently in love. Never overdoing it with PDA but just co-existing with one another. I admired their romantic adventures in the South of France. Hiking in the woods to laying side by side in a hammock under the star lit night skies of Lacoste. And I’ll never forget her story she told in critique where her and Adam almost missed their train in France! They literally ran after the train, Adam jumped in and reached for her hand to pull her aboard! They had so many stories of times well spent and they were on their way to finish art school and move on to what was next.

I can’t even imagine how Adam is feeling. To wake up and be notified that the person you love has passed away. To realize that moments shared will only remain memories.  I pray for his strength and confidence knowing that nothing was ever done in vain and that her spirit will always be there to comfort him.

I only knew her for the 2 and a half months spent in France. And many people reading this never knew her at all. But knowing her doesn’t keep anyone from being touched by who she may represent in someone elses life. I wanna do something and being so far away all I can offer are my words and prayers. I saw myself in Em’s relationship. And I was excited for her future as an artist. Damn was that girl talented! If I had a gallery I would put on a show to commemorate her life well lived and well spent.

Death waits for no one.

Death waits for no special event.

Death will come like a thief in the night.

Nothing in life is certain but death.

Where is your heart today?

Are you proud of the life you’ve lived?

What is any of us really waiting for?

Do what you love and do what you’re good at! And never let anyone tell you different.

Love with all your heart

Live with no regrets

Learn from your mistakes

Embrace them as lessons learned.

I want to impact lives every day.
Perhaps I might save one
One day.

There is so much I want to do in this short life of mine.
Em accomplished so much for her 22 years alive.
And all of her friends can attest to that and hold on tight to her memories shared.
And the photographs taken.

Photos will never let you forget.
A photo can transport you in time
A photo can be your peace and your pain
A reminder and sometimes an aide to move on just the same.

 Photo from France Exhibition found on Emalee's blog. Our art work was hung next to each other for its simplicity and use of line.

Thank You God

So last night I went to bed late cause i took a nap during the day. When I went to bed I said my prayers and rolled on over. In my sleep I had a horrible dream!! There were 3 main characters other than myself and they are all dear friends to me.
Characters: JF (female)
                    KD (male)
                    PA (male)
                    Teacher (male)
                    Teacher's wife
We were in a corrupt town or around corrupt people. And it was influencing my friends but I didn't know until later. My teacher had a gallery building in town and at some point I was there. Then JF and I went out together. We were walking around shopping i think. Then when headed home to the teacher's gallery building we say a group of men running really fast like they did something bad. JF and I hop in the car and start rushing home and have difficulty handling the car for some reason. We see cop cars and police men and that confirmed that someone was being chased.
Nearing the teacher's photo gallery space JF and I see a man running with a bloody chainsaw! Terrified we rushed in another direction.
Then all of a sudden JF starts crying and she tells me that her and KD broke up! Meanwhile, I see that while I am talking to JF, I get like a flashback as to how KD and PA had been chillen a lot more recently and PA influenced KD for the worst and then they began influencing each other negatively in this corrupt town. They just smiled and life about it thinking you only live once right...
I comfort JF and tell her trust me I know how it feels, I understand what it feels like to loose someone that you thought was forever, to not only end a relationship but to loose a precious friend and confidant.
Just as JF dries her eyes we get to the gallery building door and its locked. The whole street is dark and eerie and the shutters are pulled down. Scared to run into the criminal on the streets we start banging on the door! The professor opens up the door and we rush in. When I get in he looks disturbed and his wife looks like she's been crying herself. I ask where is PA and he begins to reach out to me as if I need comfort when I just wanted an answer. I repeated, "Where is PA!?" The teacher withdraws his hand from my shoulder and checks to see that no tears are falling from his eyes. He begins by saying, "Stephanie I'm so sorry..."
At this point my heart is racing not just in my dream but I feel my chest tense up in my sleep!
I responded to the teacher saying, "No! no! what are you saying is he...what happened!!??"
The teacher continued and explained that he watched it all happen from the gallery building window. The criminal on the run with the chainsaw had an issue with PA and when he found PA he stuck the running chainsaw in the center of his chest and ran it down to his navel!!! I nearly fainted! I cried out louder then ever before and began bawling. My teacher told me the chainsaw man is still on the run and that an ambulance took PA to the emergency room. But from what he witness it was clear in his eyes that PA was dead.
JF in turn comforting me now hugged me and sobbed. PA was my previous boyfriend and used to be my best friend. I fell to my knees and put my arms up and bowed my head and began to pray aloud. I asked God to spare his life, to step in and show his miraculous power. It looked like PA has died but I knew that no one but my GOD could save his life bring him from the dead if he had to. I began to think about the lifestyle PA and KD were living and how God must of done this to shock his life, shock his spirit and show him who is almighty and powerful.
For whatever reason I couldn't go to the hospital but I reached PA over the phone. To hear his voice was a beautiful blessing from God. As we talked I sensed a bit of attitude from his cause of his situation nearly dying and all and how they had to patch him up I assume. Nevertheless the conversation was emotional and not productive. It saddened me to see a great man nearly DIE and by the grace of God come out of it alive and STILL ignore God's power and still live a dangerous lifestyle. At that point God woke me up. almost 2 hours before my alarm went off.

As scary of a dream it was I woke up content, I woke up with a purpose. My spirit was urging me to reach out to PA, JF and KD via text since it was so early in the morning. I don't reach out to PA and I was hesitant to this morning. Then I listened to my heart and it wouldn't be right for me to ignore what God is trying to have me do right now. No matter what I think I can or can't handle God knows all so I got out my phone and I texted him a super long prayer, I impressed myself but I let God use me to do his work. I prayed for him cause life is short and God forbid anything like my dream ever come to fruition I want PA to find thanks in the mercy of GOD. In order to jump higher you gotta bend your knees and get closer to the ground in order to repel yourself up into the sky.
I also texted JF who received her prayer well and then I texted KD.
I don't know whats going on in any of these people's lives. Idk their relationship with God. I don't know their struggles and pain. But I do know that God urged me to uplift their spirits and remind them that Life is short,  God designed us with purpose! We are individually crafted with predestined goals. And that even when you think everything is wrong everything is right with God. He loved you first so you should love him.

Today is my first day of school and I'm smiling.
I've been praying constantly for patience and help being content because I DESIRE to be content with where I am in my life. I don't want to worry or be frustrated I just want to be content because God loves me and I love him and I trust he has already worked it out for me. I'm not gonna fight fate, I'm not gonna let little things get me down cause God is greater than all of those things!

THE POWER OF CONTENTMENT !!!