Ashley Landry (12/17/83 / Thibodaux, Louisiana)

Life flashes before my eyes,
25 years have thus passed me by.
I look back and reminisce.
My trys, my fears, my accomplishments.

Through all the years there's one thing that I've learned.
Hold on to what you know and do what you must,
because time is of the essence,
and there's no restarting us.

No way of getting back the 'what-ifs' and the 'should-haves'.
No way of going back and making sure they all know that you've cared.
Through all my trials and all my faults,
the one thing that gets to me, is my life's biggest regret.
Not being there with the rest.

The one thing she wanted was to see my face.
I was too wrapped up in me to give her the time or place.
How selfish and how low!
When she's taught me all that I know.
She'll forever be my angel.

I'm the woman I am today,
because she took time to show me the way.
I reminisce of her smile and I begin to cry.
Sitting alone and looking up at the sky.
I'd give anything to just have said 'good-bye'.

She said, 'Tell her she's beautiful...'
Where was I? Too worried about me to be by her side.
She said, 'Tell her I love her more than she'll ever know...'
How was I so selfish? All I had to do was just get up and go.
She said, 'Tell her she's just the woman I thought she'd be.'
Her dying words will forever haunt me.

If love only could have saved her,
she'd still be here today.
She didn't leave this world alone,
for part of me went with her that day.
I loved her dearly in life and love her still.
I'd give my life just to see her face one more time.
To just apologize for never saying bye.

Over the past 4 years I've done a lot of thinking.
I've accepted that I can't go back, but my life's clock is still ticking.
I look in the mirror and realize that she's in me.
In everything I do, in everything I say, in all decisions I make.

No...I can't go back, I can only move forward.
I know my goals can be accomplished,
because I feel her take my hand and move me toward them.
She's laid the foundation for me to succeed,
I just have to use the knowledge she placed in me.

I'll never forget her and I'll always spare time,
time each day to tell her,
Not good-bye but Thank You.
You were the best part of me,
and I'll hold that dear, as dear as you were,
Dottie.