Jessica Doubleday

I've been trying to find the right words to say for over a month and realized that there are no right words. There are my words. My words about a dear friend, a roommate, and a sister... Jessica Doubleday. On July 25th a most awful thing happened. Jess was in a fatal car accident on Fairfax county parkway. I was actually in my car at the time and heard the news reports.... Early the next morning I received a phone call from Jenny telling me about the news. My heart broke, I don't think I've really stopped crying about it. The regret weighted heavily on me. I hadn't seen or talked to Jess in such a long time. I really regret that. I am glad I did get to spend so much time with her in college. We were roommates for 3 great years. There were some bad times but a hell of a lot of good times. I just wish we would have been able to get in regular contact. I thought about all the things that had happened since college and the things I should have told her. I honestly thought we'd have more time. I thought I'd have my adventures out and she'd have her experiences and then she'd IM or call, or I'd IM or call, or we'd run into each other.....

The weeks following were very rough but a good thing did happen. Even though it was under the worst circumstances, I was able to get back in touch with a lot of old college friends. I got to see my former college roommates Jenny, Ashley, Nisey, and Liz. I got to see where Jess and Ashley shared an apartment. I'm so glad for the time I got to spend with them. I'm glad for the dinner I got to spend with Nisey, Catherine, and Liz. I'm so glad for the girls nights that Ashley planned, that I got to celebrate jenny's birthday, and that we all got to go out to our old haunt, Hawk n Dove (where I spent my 21st birthday along with many other dancing nights) to celebrate Jess's 25th birthday. I know our only wish that night and every night since the accident was that she could be there. 

Her wake and funeral were a gathering of the many many people that loved her. There was a slideshow and many scrapbooks people had made. I saw a lot of our old college photos from Essex and Liberty Square. I had many of my own to share. Chip sang a very appropriate song at the funeral from Rent. She would have loved to hear it. It was beautiful.

I miss her.

Seasons of Love - Rent

Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes,
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Moments so dear.
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes
How do you measure, measure a year?

In Daylights, in sunsets, in midnights
In cups of coffee
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife.

In five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes
How do you measure
A year in the life?

How about love?
How about love?
How about love? Measure in love

Seasons of love.
Seasons of love.

Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Journeys to plan.

Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes
How do you measure the life
Of a woman or a man?

In truths that she learned,
Or in times that he cried,
In bridges he burned,
Or the way that she died.

It's time now to sing out,
Tho' the story never ends
Let's celebrate
Remember a year in the life of friends
Remember the love
Remember the love
Remember the love
Measure in love
Seasons of love
Seasons of love.

Oh you got to remember the love,
You know that love is a gift from up above
Share love, give love, spread love
Measure, measure your life in love.