Upside down

The world is a little upside down for me tonight. The first of my college friends has passed away.

Holland was the only girl I've ever met with her name. I remember her jumping up during introductions at our dining services training my first week at college and watching her bounce up and down about how excited she was to be at Bryn Mawr. She loved math, had a wicked sense of humor, loved bikes, her dogs, and Austin. She jokingly called herself a "lululemon whore" and made fun of those ridiculous "keep calm and carry on" posters. We never realized how sick she was because she never made a big deal out of it.

The last time I saw her was almost three years ago. I was visiting my husband while he was still living in Austin and we met up for coffee. She was excited to start her PhD in mathematics. I made a silly math joke and she laughed. That's the last memory I have of her. She had such a beautiful laugh.

I'll miss you, Holland.