Growing up I had everything a child could ever want or hope for. My family was the greatest, not to mention the most absolutely spontaneous and crazy people you will ever meet. We were one of those families who made a scene wherever we went. We were loud and obnoxious and completely crazy, and I loved every second of it. One of my fondest memories was that every summer we rented a house in Avalon and my mother's whole family went broke; Aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, you name it and we were all there. My mother's youngest brother, my Uncle Rich, always made everything we did ten times better and ten times more fun. He was one of us, a kid at heart. For every time my mother said no to something, he was always the one to say go ahead Noelle, I'll cover for you and then fill you in. We would play for hours and hours just the two of us and every time I felt like I was on top of the world. When I was with him, I had no worries and my biggest problem was when we could do it again. But even that wasn't a problem because I saw him all the time since my family was always together. Almost every Sunday we went to my grandparents' house for a family dinner and as usual while all the adults were talking inside he was outside with us playing ball, shooting baskets or telling us one of his famous stories. We begged him to take us to the park which was a few blocks from my grandparents and he accompanied us every time with a smile. He loved being with us and giving us everything we wanted. My favorite thing in the world was the adventures he always took us on. We would go on walks in the woods and get lost almost every time, then my mom and aunt would come looking for us in the car... a half of paper... and when things seemed to be going well at their worst, I will remember that smile. There are no words anyone can use to ease the pain and anger I feel in my soul. Knowing that my Uncle Rich is in heaven smiling at me offers me some comfort as I try to pick up the pieces of my life and make sense of this senseless tragedy. I will always miss him; I miss him more and more every day. It's a challenge to live life without him. But if I remember only one thing for the rest of my life, then let it be this, you must live as if you were to die tomorrow, and learn as if you were to live forever. Time is a companion that accompanies us on the journey. It reminds us to cherish every moment, because it will never come back. What we leave behind isn't as important as how we lived, and that's exactly what my Uncle Rich taught me to live for.