I met Laurie when I was only 14 years old. She was perhaps the boldest I have ever met at that point in my life. She had some clean time from what I understood, and overcame a lot of hardships to get to where she was. I looked up to her. Her family was so strong, loving, and even though they fought they were always there for eachother. I wanted that. She let me basically live with her since I was 14, I mean there was a couple years of a break and technically I didn't live there until a few months near the end.. I was there so much though that no one would know the difference. I always wanted to be accepted in her family, and I always looked up to her as well as the bond that the family showed. My family had been falling apart and she had helped me through it without even trying or knowing she was doing it. She was an amazing person, and a beautiful soul. She came to my moms viewing, supported me through all my hardships, and I tried to do the same for her. I can never amount to near anything she was, but she is one of my idols, and I just hope that she is resting easy, and she is my inspiration along with my own parents to change my life for the better and be the best I can be for my family and kids. She truely had a heart of gold, and I will always love and miss her. As we all will.