I am so very, very sad to hear about Lauren. There are so very few people who shine like her, it doesn't seem right for her to be taken away from this world. We need her. She is such a star-bright girl that it seems like if we all just clapped our hands and proclaimed our faith in fairies she would surely revive. She brought out the lightest most joyful part of me and that I remember well. I always thought I would see her eyes twinkling at me again someday, have some more adventures again, maybe someday both as moms, maybe not... I'm really angry that I missed out on that. Really downright angry.

I met Lauren through the dance department at U.T. I was a legitimate Dance Major trudging through a program I hated just to get a degree, desperate for some legitimacy as a dancer. Lauren cruised in and out, attending master classes and special events as her interest and desire directed her. I was drawn to her pigtails and self-authorized artistry. I used to see her riding her bike across campus and we would stop and just stand there talking about dance and philosophy and boys and girls until we would suddenly realize, 'OH MY GOD!' We're totally LATE!!!! And then go running off in our own directions, waving and yelling our vows to make up for our abrupt ending with some quality communing girl-time soooooon. Sometimes I would go by her little apartment on my way home from class and find her, having skipped class, strumming her guitar, composing lyrics, all alone in a shady little room, barefoot and sleepy-eyed, surrounded by clothes and candles.

I remember her beautiful smile, her devilish dimple, and also the difficulty of getting a straight answer when making plans, since she always had to follow her own inner schedule. GEEZ! I was used to being the one who was kind of 'out there', the dancer, the rebel, but Lauren made me look like an uptight, anal retentive, compulsive, snort! But sometimes, when the wind was right, I could let go and just share in her spirit.

Lauren-I love you and I miss you so much. Kirsche Dickson