Yesterday was Cinco de Mayo. I'm sure all of you know that, and if you didn't, then you should have. What manyof you don't know is that it was also someone's birthday. Well, I'm sure it was many people's birthday... but I'm thinking of one in particular. The beautiful Elizabeth Meyer.
You see, it should have been her 20th birthday. She should have been excited that in one more year, she would no longer have to use a fake. She should have been celebrating with her family, or sitting at school and celebrating with her friends, missing her family. Instead, she celebrated in Heaven. This spectacular girl will forever be 18. 18 years, 1 month, and 21 days to be exact. She died too young, really it is just that simple. She was amazing, just straight up amazing. She was, is, and always will be my hero. I'm not quite sure why God saw fit to take her out of this world so soon, but one day I will ask Him.
Liz was my teammate on my high school soccer team. She was a year older than me, and it's safe to say that I worshipped the ground she walked on. She played sweeper, and I played left fullback. Obviously, we argued. She thought I should handle a situation differently, I thought that she rode me too hard. We were both competitive and wanted to win. We didn't fight out of hatred or anything else, we both wanted to see the other work harder. No matter how bad it got on the field, it never went off the field. She was just like that. She did not hold any grudges. Before I could drive, I often went from school to practice in Liz's car. She was the type of person who did anything to make someone laugh. Often, we would play the Barney soundtrack and sing at the top of our lungs as we passed another high school to see what the kids would say. She had zero embarrassment level.
I will never forget the day that I found out she had died. I was babysitting a couple houses down from my own and my friend Melissa had left a voicemail saying to call her back right away, she sounded urgent and upset. My best friend Missy was calling as I walked out the front door and she asked if I had heard anything about Liz. Listening to this, plus the voicemail, the first thing I thought was car accident and that maybe she was in the hospital. But no way, it could be worse than that. I mean, it was Liz. She was so full of life and laughter that it would be impossible for her to be gone. I hung up on Missy and called Melissa back who told me that Liz had passed away in a car accident. It had only happened 12 hours before so no one really knew details. Missy came over right away, knowing that I needed her. We both sat in front of the TV, flipping through the local news stations in hopes of any information, any small detail. It never came.
I met up with my soccer team later that night. Together, we went to Del Taco where kids from the school were meeting up. Some brought flowers, some brought candles, some brought signs. At first, we were going to go to the crash site, but her mom asked us not to. It occurred on a highway and she didn't want anything else bad to happen, so she invited us to her home. I will never forget her strength through everything. The saddest site to see was when her younger sister, Steph, also on the team showed up at Del Taco. She told us her mom's wishes so we all went back to the Meyer Household. There were over twenty cars. We set up a vigil outside of their house. Her mom got food and orange soda (Liz's favorite). Not even a full 24 hours after it occurred, her mom was trying to cheer us up. She was not focused on herself but on the 100 or so students in her house. I know where Liz got her amazingness from. Obviously, tears were shed. But surprisingly, just as many, if not more, laughs occurred. We did everything we could to commemorate her in a way that she would appreciate. We drank orange soda and ate cereal, two of her favorite things.
That August, soccer and school started up again. We were certain that we would win state for her. We had come so close the two years she was with us, that we HAD to win it this last year. Every game, we wrote "play for her" on our hands and our cleats. We had warm-up shirts with her picture on them. "Play for her" became our theme, everywhere there was a soccer player, there was this statement. Unfortunately, we did not win. We came so close, only to lose it again. That is my last regret. I wanted to win it for her. That's all I wanted.
Liz taught me how to have fun. I never saw her without a smile. She had a strong faith. She rarely talked bad about others. At her memorial, the priest likened her to a shooting star: shining brighter than the rest, but for a shorter amount of time. I have never before nor since heard a truer comparison. Liz was not perfect, by any means. But you see, she also was. She was the perfect Liz. She cared about others, going on mission trips to Jamaica and working at orphanages. She knew how to have fun and she knew when to be serious. I feel bad for every person that never got nor gets to have contact with this beautiful soul
I can honestly say that Liz was an angel on Earth, and that it is only fitting that she is an angel in Heaven now. I'm sure she is playing practical jokes up there and cheering up the children who are without their parents. For my entire senior year, I lived by the phrase "play for her." But for the rest of my life, I will "live for her." Everyday I miss her. Every night I pray for her and her family. I was blessed to know her, even if for just a short time.