This quote sits below Kara's senior picture, Jamesville-DeWitt High School, spring 1995. "Always feeling, always thinking; The moment has arrived." I can think of no better way to describe a vibrant life, lived by a loving daughter and sister, a precious friend. Kara is so many things to all of us--an athlete, a captain, a student, a volunteer, a musician, an artist, an adventurer, a classmate, and a friend. You couldn't know her and not love her. And she certainly is loved....

A sister to three, and a daughter who knew the blessing of a large family, who so clearly benefited from her family's strong value system. A person with tremendous strength in her convictions though with sufficient perspective to engage in impassioned debate, even if she'd never let you win...

Kara enjoyed the camaraderie of good friends, the value of a good laugh. She had the ability to make us laugh so hard, we'd cry. The face that is so imprinted in our minds is the one of her smiling, her laughing--a grin spread wide across her face, sharing her joy with the world around her. Her spirit, her love, her laughter were graciously shared with all of us. We knew then, as we know now, that we were blessed to have her in our lives. Kara is the kind of friend who made me realize I couldn't take things for granted. She was an everyday angel bringing happiness and joy to those around her. Kara touched many lives through a myriad of activities during her days at Jamesville-DeWitt; from lacrosse and soccer and volleyball--her signature red bandana tied around her head--to Kara's foray into JV basketball, from her brush with art in middle school, to her private thoughts sketched gracefully in her many journals, from Good Time Singers to summers at Camp Stella Maris, from Highfield Road to Cazenovia (via the infamous Green Jeep). In high school, we escaped the cafeteria and spent lunches at Mario and Salvo's and skipped out on school to attend "classes" at FM High School. We spent hours decorating the cafeteria before the Eighth Grade Dinner Dance with our theme song, Walk Forever by My Side. At Senior Ball, Kara's beautiful turquoise dress stood out in a sea of black formal attire...

In Middle School, I remember staying up late in my basement, playing poker with M&Ms. We realized only too late that our M&Ms somehow kept disappearing from the pile, and I can still remember Kara's face when she was found out. We did makeovers one night at Amanda's, but Kara wound up with far more makeup on her arms and legs than her face. She insisted on eating potato chips with toothpicks, always had the best "knots" on her Bleukers shoes, loved blasting Beastie Boys as we drove through SU's campus and passed many a tightly folded note during class. She somehow managed to be the prankster among us, with the face of an angel--the ultimate picture of innocence. We shared many late nights and slumber parties, phone conversations, long walks. Is there a way to remember it all? What I know with certainty is that Kara's memory will remain alive in all of our hearts, for she is the kind of person who enters your life, and leaves you a changed person for having known her.

What I will take with me always, what I will remember most about my dear friend is her trust, her honesty, her kindness, her thoughtfulness, her vision, her encouragement, her support, her caring. I don't know if I will ever be able to find the right words to describe a "friend." What I do know was that in Kara, I had found one. A true friend--one who is there for you at your best times, and at your worst, someone who is there for you unconditionally. A person with whom I was willing to share my secrets, my hopes, my fears--knowing they would remain safely with her. Whether we had a five-minute walk to Lyndon for practice, or multiple hours on the phone, she was a friend who could offer sound advice on any issue. She cared deeply for those around her. To love another as you love yourself-something Kara espoused and seemed to do with ease. She reached out to all those around her-her family and friends, her community, and those less fortunate than she. She offered herself to the world around her with grace and with selflessness. For the rest of my life, I will know that I am a truly blessed individual for having the chance to befriend Kara, to love her as my own sister, to share her passion for the world around her.

Dressed up as flowers, we decorated the high school athletic shed on Senior Dress-up Day with a message that seemed only too fitting at the time, "Where Will All the Flowers Go?" Though I may never know why Kara was taken from us at such an early age, I do know where Kara will always remain--safely in our hearts and our memories--a place where she will be cherished for the rest of our lives. The last night I spent with Kara, at dinner over Thanksgiving break, Kara kept us doubled over in laughter with tales of her travels, her friends, her experiences. My final memory, as with my first, is one of shared laughter--an expression of our good fortune to have found one another at all. Though my heart misses her each day, I know that she is always there somewhere, knowing we are here. We miss you, Kara. For the rest of our lives we will miss you. We thank you so much for sharing your life with us. We love you very much.