Our Three Angels

Memorial Bench at Cemetary

Memorial bricks at Saxonburg Library	You hear about teenagers dying on the news everyday, and everyday, you're glad that it's not someone you know. Then you breathe a sigh of relief… until one day your sigh of relief is cut short by a gasp as you slowly realize that you recognize
the names being rattled off and what had just happened. Suddenly you're mad at the TV anchor person and think it's impossible… this just cant be happening. So you turn to channel 4… sadly they're covering the same depressing story. As shock gives way to grief, a multitude of people are affected, and you sit and you cry, feeling helpless trying to understand that she was only 16… he was only 18.
	Memorial at crash site
In the few years that I knew them, I found them to be the greatest. I had the biggest crush on Joey and I remember thinking he was so cool, just all around awesome. He was always so nice to me and tried to make me laugh. And then when I met Krystle, after hearing how people were afraid of her or intimidated by her, I only knew her as the opposite. She was smart, funny, beautiful, and seemed to have so much going for her. Her talent was so fresh. Neither of them deserved the fate they were handed. I immediately questioned if God knew what he was doing in taking them away from us and in doing so I only felt worse about the situation, and tried to understand that God had a plan for Joey and Krystle. It's a nice thought, but it doesn't even begin to dull the pain and realization that there are two empty rooms at the Gall house, two parents trying to hold on, and a world full of family and friends trying to believe that it would get better.

I've found myself wondering that if maybe they were just one moment sooner or later, would they still be alive? I don't know if this brings comfort of just more undue sorrow, and I'm sorry if sadness is the only emotion you receive, but my intentions were only of good. I am positive that everyone will miss them, and a ton of us, myself included, are still trying to come to grips that it is grim reality and not just a bad dream that we can wake up from and have everything be o.k. again. I just try to think how happy they are together in heaven, with Jesus holding each of their hands welcoming them home. I'm going to miss Joey stopping in after school for hugs, and Krystle threatening to beat up anyone who messed with me. I'm going to miss watching her twirl the baton at football games.

They were two people that couldn't be forgotten in life, and now in death, will never leave our minds. I wasn't as close to them or knew them as well as most had, but I feel I was close enough to be among the grieving and to write this. I am sorry to those of you who hold more memories than I. But I just know they're watching out for all of us from where they are (and they're doing it together like they did so many other things).
So, with sadness we look to the future, taking the grief day by day and hopefully coming out stronger in the end.

To Joey, Krystle, The Galls, and all touched with tears.

-Victoria Anderson