Only the Good Die Young

This is a long one, but meaningful post.

Diana Aycock, Jimmy Ray Eason, Jeremy Scarboro, Shawn Duren, Lee Laughinghouse, and Tracey Peel

Some of you know this list of names, but some of you don't.  This isn't meant to be a sad blog, but a reassurance of life.  All of the names listed above were good friends of mine that have passed away at a young age.   But I like to remember the happy times.  Just wanted to say a little something about them.

Diana passed away summer before 8th grade, she had an immune deficiency disorder where her body could not fight off diseases.  She was a cheerleader, happy bubbly friend involved in school, community and church.  The best Easter egg hunt I ever remember was at her church, she had invited me one Easter Sunday to go with her to her church and stay afterwards for the Easter egg hunt.  She went to church out in the country on hwy 210 in Smithfield.  We went WAY out there, which I thought was an hour away, but like 15 minutes from my house.  They had this huge field where all the eggs were hidden and a play ground and just miles and miles of hidden eggs.  They weren't just eggs, they had candy and money and prizes inside of them.  We were a little too old to be participating in the hunt, but we were helping the kids and I was secretly getting eggs myself, I mean I was invited to HUNT!  They had a big meal in the fellowship hall and then we went to Diana's house and played for a few hours.  It was a great afternoon of fun and one I will never forget, it would be one of Diana's last Easters :)  At her funeral they played Angels Among Us by Alabama it will always be one of my fav songs and always brings tears to my eyes (even now as I write this) and I've always known she is among us. To my first friend lost.

In high school we had two best friends that died with in one month of each other.  They were both best friends with my high school boyfriend Derek.  So he lost his two best friends in one month.  This was a hard time for me because I was at St Marys, away at school and was not with my friends and didn't think anyone understood what I was going through.  Jimmy Ray Eason was a great athlete he loved SOCCER and he was good.  He was so energetic and full of life and always living on the edge.  My fav memory is when we all snuck into the Selma pool one night and the girls were splashing around in the shallow end when all of a sudden coming off the pool house roof was one of the guys...running, jumping and splash into the deep end.  We were like OMG, but probably like Holy Moly because OMG didn't exist.  Then we hear feet again, this time here comes Jimmy Ray, running, jumping... Holy Crap, he is BUTT ASS NAKED... he had his hands like little pistols and was yelling bang bang bang bang.... splash.  It was hilarious and one of the funniest moments ever, I will never forget that night and during his memorial service as I comforted two of my sobbing friends all I could think about was Jimmy Ray sitting up in those rafters of the gym yelling bang bang bang bang... and all I could do was smile knowing he was now bringing laughter to everyone in heaven.  Then Jeremy Scarboro, Jimmy Ray's and Derek's other best friend was so smart and just a great guy to be around.  He was in my 10th grade English class and convinced me to give Derek a chance...so thanks to Jeremy, Derek and I became BF and GF.  Because if Jeremy didn't give him the green light I probably would have said no...haha.  I became good friends with Jeremy that year being as we usually had to sit beside each other Royall and Scarboro usually came pretty close unless there were some Sanders in our class.  He was just so nice, cracking the funniest jokes in class, making straight A's with like no effort at all, I was very jealous.  Jeremy had perfect attendance all through school, went home one day sick and passed away the very next day from meningitis.  It was very sad and hard to understand how it happened so quickly.  But I will always remember what a great friendships these three boys had and how they were so full of life and how they touched so many people and not just at our school, but other people from other schools who turned out for their memorial services. 

Lee Laughinghouse, he was the new guy in middle school.  He was cool and cute and interesting.  He ended up becoming one of my good friends and we even went to same college and hung out at UNCW.  He was a member of CHI-PHI and my roommates and I went over there and hung out with Lee and met lots of good friends that I still keep in touch with.  Lee always drove that mustang and actually let me drive it once.  Lee was a great friend to go to college with.  My first college crush was Lee's suite mate Chris Nye, he actually became of my really good friends althrough college and all thanks to Lee!  He was my first YANKEE friend, he was from NEW JERSEY! I have one regret when it came to Lee, I started my new job on the day of Lee's funeral so I was unable to go.  I did go visit his parents and his brother, but it's just not the same.

Shawn Duren whewwwwww  he was THE HOTTEST boy in the 6th grade at Smithfield Middle School.  The VERY first day of school, he was walking in the lunch line with Brandon Braswell, I had never seen such a hottie and I said to my friend, who is that guy and he is going to be my boyfriend.  I had on this stylish outfit that consisted of jean shorts (not the cut off kind, the tight short kind), this navy blue ribbed shirt, this hot ass necklace that I bought at the beach that I'm pretty sure had a ying/yang symbol on it and some big shiny BRACES!  So guess what I asked Brandon about Shawn and he asked Brandon about me and in 6th grade the rest is history...yep. There he was the hottest boy in school MY BOYFRIEND.  We for sure went to the movies and held hands and made out and he was the first boy to go up my shirt!!!  Haha what a big deal that was back in the day, and now I've admitted it on the Internet... haha.  Shawn was on the edge of a bad boy, nothing like the guys I had grown up with and gone to school with he was hot mysterious and just the best first boyfriend a girl could ask for.  As you can imagine I'm sure a few weeks later things didn't work out, but Shawn and I remained good friends all through school and several of my friends dated him down the line, but ladies I HAD HIM FIRST!  Shawn died in a car wreck after college down in Wilmington, it was really sad.  His funeral brought together lots of different crowds of people, which goes to show you what a great and diverse person he was!

Tracey Peele was my sister's best friend.  She is the one who lived life to the fullest, probably because at a young age she was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis and knew she might not live to the ripe old age of a teenager.  She kept pushing and pushing through life and she was the bright and beautiful young age of 22 when she passed.  Tracey just liked to have fun..PEROID.... she was the most fun person I have ever been around.  We had a few trips to City Limits (when I was too old to be going).  She used to go on family vacations with our family and we are a fun group, but she always brought another element of fun and laughter to our group.  Tracey had a tattoo on her side, basically where her lungs are that said "breathe".  BEFORE MILEY CYRUS. She and her best friends had all talked about getting that same tattoo before she passed.  Tracey got sick one summer and this time did not come out of the hospital and it was not looking good, she had gone into a coma.  Julia came to my house and I went with her to get a tattoo, all of her friends had decided to meet and it was time to get the "breathe" tattoo.  They all did it and it was beautiful.  Once they were all complete they took a trip over to the hospital to visit Tracey and show her all their tattoos.  Even though she was in a coma, we all know she saw the tattoos and felt the love.  Tracey passed away the next day.  She was a great friend, daughter and girlfriend and she will be missed everyday.  Her friends have started a group that does a Great Strides walk to raise money for Cystic Fibrosis every year in Wilmington. Usually the last weekend in April in Wilmington and I think it's a great way to give back and help keep Tracey's memory alive.


I have a list of people's names on my desk that I look at everyday and reflect on their lives and how they were cut short, but still made an impact on so many people. I pray for them and their families and also for myself each day that I can live my life the the fullest and be patient with people and not let the small things get me down.  It is a great way to reflect first thing and remember that each day is a new day and brings a new sense of beauty and enjoyment to your life and you are always making impressions on people even you are not paying attention.

These 6 mentioned above are the ones from my list I feel closest to.  All the other's have touched my life in some way or another.  Just go out there and live your life and enjoy life, like all the people I have listed. 

Here is my list of reflection:
Diana Aycock, Jimmy Ray Eason, Jeremy Scarboro, Shawn Duren, Lee Laughinghouse, and Tracey Peel


Jody Parish-friend and neighbor- killed in plane crash
Mancy Moore-friend, classmate and big brother to my friend Crystal- killed in a motorcycle accident
Chuck Turlington-friend from Clayton- killed in car accident
Jon Massey-classmate killed in car accident
Chris Raynor-friend killed in car accident on his wedding day
Nathan Hewitt- classmate killed in car accident
Brannon Brady- classmate/friend- killed in a car-train accident, along with his wife and newborn baby
Quinton Brown-basketball played collapsed on the court
Cindy-played on my basketball team at SSS, shot and killed by her estranged husband, leaving 5 kids at home
Donald Worrell-basketball coach, dad to April, husband to Vivian, great mentor
Mitchel Jernigan-Softball coach since DAY 1, great dad to Lauren and Bruce, great spirit and leader- killed in motorcycle accident
Judy Avera-Another mom to me, but real mom to Carrie Dale and Brandy, practically grew up in this woman's house, they always had Popsicles!
Ann Ogburn- Another mom, but real mom to Vic and Boo, neighbors most of my life, great community leader and advocate for Johnston County Schools.
Lois Parker- 4th grade teacher and member of my church-4th grade was the hardest year for me as a girl, and I could not have made it through without this woman
Richard Williams-MY PREACHER-- he has been the preacher at my church my entire life, even when my dad was there.  He is the voice of Herman the worm and just one of the nicest most sincere men I have ever met.  He was one of my grandparents best friends and neighbors and been a part of my life from the beginning.