She was there....... When my family moved to Ballston Lake, NY from Boston, Mass., it was a bit of a culture shock. We moved from a bustling city and active suburbs to a half built sandy development in NY. I was a very shy child and unsure of my surroundings when this tall, blond-haired little girl showed up at my door asking me to play. It was Erika. She quickly had me settled into her house, playing with Barbies, jewelry and braiding each others' hair, watching her mother bake yummy goodies, playing piano, and writing in our diaries. We were inseparable. Every day was an adventure with Erika. As we entered our middle school years, we shared friends, which was sometimes difficult for Erika. Erika would often pout for a day, determined to show the world that it was HER WAY or NO WAY at the young age of 13. The following day, we stubbornly laughed and once again became best friends. This wasn't always easy for me to accept, as both of us were young girls trying to make friends in our own ways. It seemed as if Erika pulled her strengths from these lessons learned. Erika was a determined young fighter, compassionate at all that she put her mind to. It was an admirable trait, one that she taught me well throughout the years. At age 14, my father had fallen ill with cancer, and we didn't quite understand it, as no one was telling us anything. I spent my days retreating with friends or with my books. One day in late August, my mother and I had walked in to our house after grocery shopping to find my father shouting for us. My mother quickly ordered me to call the Riebels, as Mrs. Riebel was with the local EMT department. My father lay on the cold tiled floor, Mr. and Mrs. Riebel burst through the door and helped to get him comfortable. I was told to call the ambulance and before I knew what was happening,Erika's mother and the EMTs were taking my father away on a stretcher. I was told to stay put. I didn't speak to anyone about this, but Erika knew. Busy with friends and our summer theatrics, Erika was there to talk to, to cry with and to imagine magical worlds with. We had a deep secret and an incredible learning experience which no one else knew or could take away from us. This would bond us for the rest of our lives. We changed drastically that summer.....together.