I want to thank everyone for coming out today, not to remember Andrea in her sickness, but to celebrate in the life of Andrea Kowalewski.
I am overwhelmed by the amount of lives Andrea has touched, and seeing all of these faces here today is a reminder that I am not the only one that is hurting, and I am not the only one that is going to be changed by knowing someone like her.
For those of you that don’t know me I have been best friends with Andrea since we were 9 years old.
Knowing Andrea, loving Andrea, and being loved by Andrea has impacted every ounce of who I've become. We met in elementary school and I cannot picture my life without her in it.
I remember seeing Andrea on the school bus before we met and I always vividly remember thinking I want to be friends with that girl. She had long wavy hair and was probably the only third grader wearing huge hoops and pink lipstick, but she was always gutsy and was never scared to be who she was. I know the confidence she exuded as a little girl was something I wanted and I can honestly say, in retrospect, that knowing her gave me confidence in myself.
When we met in the fourth grade we became inseparable. People would ask us if we were sisters, and for the majority of our lives when people remember us, they remember us together. I will always cherish those moments.
As we grew older and no longer lived streets apart but cities and states apart we managed to sustain and actually continue to grow our friendship into young adulthood.
I have watched Andrea for the last 14 months and she never ceases to impress me, even after all of these years. I would leave her house or the hospital each time and be amazed at how strong she was. I realize now that her strength comes from her mother, Diana, and watching each of them be the two strongest women in totally different ways will forever remind me to be strong too.
In light of all of the inner battles I've had with this situation I know Andrea has given me her peace. I feel incredibly lucky to have known her, been her best friend, her sister, her maid of honor and she will always be on the top of my heart for the rest of my life.
I can't remember the last words she said to me all I remember is that I was lucky enough to sit elbow to elbow with her on her last Saturday on earth and the last Saturday I will enjoy for a very long time. Her selfless nature always shines through. I had been there all day and as night came up she asked "don't you have other plans? It's a Saturday night. This must be boring". I replied, “this is where I want to be. I'm not here because you're sick I'm here because there's nowhere else i'd rather be.” This day will forever be in my heart and I feel truly blessed to have had somebody as amazing as her choose me. In my brokenness as a little girl she chose me. As a confused teenager she chose me. And as an angry and rebellious 20 something she chose me again. And she would have chosen me until she couldn't anymore. I chose her because she is easy to love and would be anyone's natural choice. I do not expect to ever have this kind of human connection again and I fear that some may go their entire life without ever feeling true acceptance and love from another person. I am forever blessed by the memories and determined more now than ever to have her spirit and nature live in me.
In a card i wrote Andrea in the last few months i said “ I know the love in my heart could never be felt for anyone else. I heard this song that made me think of you, even if its about being in love or whatever I think the meaning i get from it is so much deeper than any romantic love."
Aren't you something to admire
cause you shine something like a mirror
and I can’t help but notice you refelct in this heart of mine
if you ever feel alone and
the glare makes me hard to find
just know that i'm always parallel on the other side.
I will now picture Andrea saying this to me.
I will always remember Andrea in this way: selfless, hilarious, nurturing, young, and beautiful.
Andrea, thank you for the unconditional love that you have given me. I hope in some way I am able to give a piece of that back to our Nathan. I could never forget you, no matter how many years pass. Until I see my favorite face again...
