Saturday afternoon I received an unexpected phone call from one of my best friends and while I was excited to see her name pop up on my phone, I had a feeling she wasn’t calling just to catch up. When she told me the tragic news of Mia’s passing, I was left in disbelief. I was speechless and I’m still in shock.
It was the same shock and disbelief I felt 11 months ago when I received a phone call about my dad’s accident. Although my dad’s accident and Mia’s accident were different, it still brings up the same feelings and heartbreak that come with sudden deaths. Death is never easy to cope with, but sudden deaths hit us the hardest.
We don’t see it coming, we don’t have time to prepare for this pain, we don’t expect to have to say goodbye so soon.
I’ve spent the last day reflecting on the few memories I have with Mia and I regret not getting to know her sooner than I did. I first met Mia when we both joined AOII and although we were only familiar faces to each other, she never walked by without a smile on her face or without saying hello. It wasn’t until we both served on GW Central our senior year that I really got to know her. After a difficult fall semester, I was looking forward to being disaffiliated for Greek Week and meeting new people outside of my own chapter. However, being the introvert that I am I was immediately relieved to learn Mia was going to also serve on GW Central. She treated me as though we had been friends forever and always made me feel included, regardless of how alone I felt. Her smile could light up a room and her infectious laugh would make your day. She had an eagerness to always help others and treated everyone with acceptance and love.
Mia touched the lives of everyone she met and she will be greatly missed by all who knew her. We should all strive to embody the values Mia showed us on a daily basis. Only the good die young and Mia was truly one of the best. Rest in Peace, Mia.
