Forever Young

"May the good lord be with you

Down every road you roam

And may sunshine and happiness

Surround you when you're far from home

And may you grow to be proud

Dignified and true

And do unto others

As you'd have done to you

Be courageous and be brave

And in my heart you'll always stay

Forever young, forever young

May good fortune be with you

May your guiding light be strong

Build a stairway to heaven

With a prince or a vagabond

And may you never love in vain

And in my heart you'll always remain

Forever young, forever young

And when you finally fly away

I'll be hoping that I served you well

For all the wisdom of a lifetime

No one can ever tell

But whatever road you choose

I'm right behind you, win or lose

Forever young, forever young" ~ Rod Stewart

The efforts needed to maintain a solid friendship is a labour of love. Shayla was loyal to the one person who had seen her through a myriad of changes; typical of a young girl, growing up. For Shayla, the other half of her care-free soul was her best friend, Chantel. The measure of their friendship was forged in secret codes, nicknames only they knew and adoration for everything Disney. While both in appearances were the opposites of each other; their capacity to dream big saw each one hold the other in reverence. Soft-spoken Chantel seemed to blossom off of the energy Shayla and her shared for almost 21 years of companionship. For these two girls, nothing limited them in pursuing their dreams and maintaining their friendship.

Growing up, they took the common things in life and made them adventures of the heart. Summer days were spent swimming at Wood Lake in Oyama, BC. They caught rays of sunshine together; while never holding back what teenage girl woes were bothering them. Often at parks such as Kaloya surrounded by Kalamalka Lake, they would swings off a tree branch, over the water.

After Shayla passed away, I found a video of the two of them, on a set of playground swings, with my daughter singing: “Swing Life Away”- by Rise Against. Their sweet innocence reminded me how no matter how much we grow up, a part of us sways to the rhythms of life- never too late to embrace the kid in all of us.

Last December, I found myself sitting across from Chantel, and reaching out to her I gathered what strength I had to give her something. This wasn’t an ordinary gift, rather one from the collection of Shayla’s Christmas presents that she would never open.

Since my daughter’s death, I have reached out to those who knew Shayla and saw another side to my child that she reserved for the closest of friends. Both Chantel and I have spent quality time together, immersed in stories of grandeur and silliness. The endless hours spent playing Disney Monopoly and tears shed over those who broken their hearts.

Earlier this year, Chantel and her mother Rene went to Wood Lake and placed several pebbles for Shayla. They stood together, a weight upon themselves in mourning the loss of the girl, who wanted to bring change to the world. For my daughter, Rene’s home was another place of refuge; where amidst the walls of Chantel’s bedroom, the genuineness of what they shared was sheltered.

As I write this, Shayla’s best friend and her family are in Disneyland. I received an email from Chantel asking where she and her mother could put some pebbles. This brought me grace in knowing they were thinking of my daughter at one of the happiest places on earth. I offered ideas and smiled, knowing amongst the spirit of old Walt Disney, a part of The Heart Pebble Movement is being carried on.

   http://youtu.be/yPvO3yXQshk

By T L. Alton