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| Today is Sean's 26 birthday. I can't believe he is/was only two years older than me. He was so intelligent and thoughtful, so wise beyond his years. Of course Sean's death hit me immediately on a visceral level-- it was so tragic and unfair-- but it is only recently that I truly realize the magnitude of his loss. Sean was a mentor to me. I hope that I can inspire others the way he motivated me. How wonderful it would be to dedicate one of my books to him, as he always believed in me and gave such incredible support. Wherever he is I hope he is happy, at peace. You are loved and missed, Sean.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1211307/sean_krause_and_the_daily_bs.html?cat=38
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| I feel so selfish that I placed an entry about my own busy life before something far more important than me. Please forgive me for this delayed posting. And please pray [if you pray] to whomever it is you pray to that I don't have to write anymore entries like this for a while, it seems I have written far too many.
On May 23, I received the devastating news that Lauren Witty was taken from us in a tragic car accident. I've known Lauren since we were freshmen in high school. She went to St.Agnes and was close to my circle there, especially one of my dearest friends and former roommate, Megan Childers.
Lauren wasn't one of my closest friends. In fact, it's been over a year since I've spoken to her aside from Facebook updates and what not. That doesn't make this any less tragic for me. Regardless of my own personal relationship with Lauren, the very idea of a young woman so full of life with so much to offer the world-- being taken so unexpectedly-- is absolutely heartbreaking. Unexpected loss seems to be a reoccurring theme in my life. When will it stop? Sadly I know the answer is never.
More than anything I hurt for Lauren's boyfriend, Frank. They were serious. Do you detect a pattern here? I know firsthand the agonizing pain of losing the person you want to be with for the remainder of your days....my god, I ache for him. I've told him that I'm always here if he wants to talk but he doesn't know me. I wouldn't talk to me either, I barely even talked to my closest friends. It's like I am reliving the nightmare whenever this happens.
Quite possibly the only person I ache for more than Frank is Lauren's mom. The one time I went over to her house [she stayed with her mom, her dad lived elsewhere] I couldn't help but notice their home was so cozy and full of love. It seemed like the two of them were such a team. Tears pour down my face whenever I think of her sweet mother and how she's attempting to cope with this.
Lauren was so incredibly nice. I don't think I can tell you of a kinder person, a gentler heart, a more beautiful soul. Her smile could light up an entire room and then some. In all the years I knew her I never heard her utter an ill word about another human being. There was always a smile on her face and a [snorting!] laugh not far behind. I'll never forget that time she came over to our apartment, used the restroom, and came out with a very calm announcement: "There's a small animal in the bathroom." I dismissed it, thinking she was referring to my cat. When I walked in there I saw a tarantula that was larger than my face and ran screaming upstairs for Matt and Homer to rescue us. They were shirtless and watching TV, and came running because they thought somebody was seriously injured. Once I told them it was a spider they looked at me with exasperation, but upon seeing it....they were just as scared as we were! I swear, that thing deserved its own zip code. Such good times.
On a final note, something that really strikes me about Lauren is her devout faith. It is a Christian faith that we do not share, but she is what I believe a 'true' Christian should embody. Never once did she treat me differently due to my beliefs that were in direct contradiction to her own. She never shoved religion down a person's throat. Lauren Witty was a true leader by example. I sincerely hope there is a beautiful, glorious, and peaceful heaven for those who believe....and I know she's their brightest smiling, snorting, and laughing angel that they've ever seen! Rest in peace, sweet Lauren.
[[Commerical Appeal Obituary]]
Lauren Jean Witty, 23, of Memphis, passed away on Saturday, May 23, 2009 from injuries sustained in a tragic automobile accident. Funeral services will be held at Christ United Methodist Church, 4488 Poplar Ave. at 11:00 a.m., Thursday, May 28, with the family receiving friends, at the church, beginning at 9 a.m. Interment will follow in Memorial Park South Woods Cemetery. Lauren was a 2004 graduate of Saint Agnes High School, received honorable mention in the April 2004 Memphis Woman Magazine’s “Outstanding Women of Memphis”, a 2008 Magna Cum Laude graduate of the University of Tennessee Martin. She was a member of Alpha Delta Pi sorority and was working in the MBA graduate office while working on her Masters in Business Administration. She was also a member of Christ United Methodist Church. Over the years, she made the Chrysalis Walk, went on mission trips and enjoyed working with children and youth. Her love of life touched many and she will be missed greatly. She was preceded in death by her grandfather, T.J. Witty and is survived by her mother, Terrie Witty; father, Thomas Witty; grandmothers, Jean Branch and Margaret Witty; grandfather, Horace Branch; aunts, Connie Brady and Sarah Strickland; step-mother, Patty Witty and step-brother Warren Witty. The family prefers memorial gifts be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Brantley Funeral Home Olive Branch, MS 662-895-2310
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| February 23, 2009
Very early this morning my dear friend Sean Krause lost his battle with
cancer. Forgive me if any of this seems like incoherent rambling as I
am so distraught I can barely gather my thoughts. Yet it is extremely
important to me that I say something as quickly as possible. No words
of mine can ever do him justice but maybe with time I can find a better
way to express myself about this awe-inspiring person.
I have never met Sean in person. We haven't even known each other a
year. I met him during the summer of 2008 shortly after Caylee
Anythony was reported missing. A mutual friend at the time, Raechel,
introduced us via the Caylee Memorial page that he created. He invited
me to do a recorded audio segment with him asking my legal opinions on
the Caylee case and I also appeared in a Halloween Exorcist spoof with
him. Beyond any professional collaborations he very quickly became a
close friend of mine. I'll never forget his unique voice and strong
accent. Thanks to Sean I met friends like Shar, Holly, and Debbie who
I know will always be in my life. His Caylee chat introduced me to to
some unforgettable people. I'm also very appreciative that he was kind
enough to post a link to my Associated Content page on his site.
Right now I am stricken by unimaginable grief. It may be difficult to
comprehend how somebody you have never even met can touch you so deeply
but he was a mentor to me even though he probably didn't realize it. I
loved his fearless journalism, his attitude, and his sense of humor.
He saw right through the bullshit and fought to get down to the true
story. Many found this offensive but I say it added to his charm.
Aside from his work, his friendship was equally refreshing. Never once
did he say anything unkind to me. Even when others were cruel and
throwing past indiscretions in my face he was quick to leap to my
defense and remind me that I was a strong person, a woman of character,
and an excellent mother and friend. His legacy is one that I can only
hope to aspire to in my future endeavors.
I always laugh when I see this picture he Photoshopped of 'us' and also
that interesting series of text messages one night when he was a little
overserved. ;)
I encourage you all to read the interview I conducted with him found at
the bottom of this page. His selfless attitude is evidenced as he says
that the driving force behind his dedication to the Caylee case was
that "I'm still alive and Caylee's not. That's my motivation." He
goes on to say that: "Your life can be taken away at any moment. I just
want people to know that anyone can make a difference, no matter how small or big. I want
people to understand why I do what I do, and hope that people learn, crime
doesn't pay. Otherwise, feel honored you're being written about. The
news media will kiss your ass, I won't. If I made an impact, great. If
not, at least I know I've tried." Sean, you have made more of an
impact than you could possibly imagine, and I know I'm not the only one
who feels this way. Yes, people can make a difference. And you have
certainly made a major one in this world.
Sean succumbed to a three year war with cancer. I knew he was sick but
I could not fully grasp the magnitude of the situation. My mind has a
tendency to go into denial when it comes to those I care about. He
mentioned that he had to write a will for his new treatment yet he
never made it sound like it was anything other than a silly politically
correct procedure so some doctor wouldn't get sued. Even last night
when I heard that his organs were shutting down I couldn't quite face
reality. If organs can fail they can surely come back to life, right?
I realize now that he purposely concealed a lot of elements of his
illness because he was a fiercely private person. Of course I
understand this because I too am private but I would give anything to
have one last conversation with him or to have been able to send him a
letter telling him exactly what he meant to me.
I cannot write this without mentioning my regrets and things that will
weigh heavily on my conscience. These last weeks were not easy for my
friend. He was in pain and he suffered. I also know that he felt
lonely and that some of his friends had shunned him. These things
wound me to the core. So many times I could have gotten over my hatred
for the phone and called him. I know by what he's said to me that he
realizes how much I care, but I don't know if I'll ever fully forgive
myself for not being more accessible to a wonderful friend who
desperately wanted companionship. Things would have been different if
I lived there, I would have seen him every day. I also regret that I
didn't make time at Christmas to go visit him when he offered to fly me
up to Buffalo. Now I can only dream of the memories we would have
made. My biggest regret of all is not telling him that I loved him.
Although it has been a couple of weeks since I heard from Sean, I will
always cherish the last thing he said to me: " I got your package
today, that was a lot of shit. Thank you though for
doing that, I respect you even more. On another note, that lady before
Nancy Grace, I'm appearing on her show Monday so you get to watch yours
truly again. LOL. Lot of media appearances." It breaks my heart that
he won't get to go on the 'media blitz' we joked about but to know that
he was appreciative of me and found that I was worthy of his respect
gives me comfort.
The only show he appeared on was On The Record with Greta Van
Susteren. He called me three hours before the show to tell me about
it. I wish I had a video of my reaction to seeing his face on live
television! My feet hurt by the end of his segment because I was
jumping around my den so much, squealing with excitement like a little
kid on Christmas. I took at least a dozen pictures of the screen, some
of which you can see in my 'Cool People' album here on MySpace. In all
honesty I was taken aback by his gaunt figure, but I attributed it to
the grueling chemotherapy. I admire his courage to find the strength
to do the program when he so seriously ill. You can bet I'll be
watching that tape over and over again in the future.
Sean, I want to make some promises to you. I promise that I will never
again let my true friends not know exactly how much I care about them.
I promise that I will never stop fighting for Caylee and other young
victims. I promise I will do everything in my power with my legal
career and my writing to ensure that the truth is exposed and justice
is served. I promise that I will do anything I can to help those whom
you loved. I promise that I will never stop writing. I promise that I
will give my all to make sure that TheDailyBS stays up and running as
does your other work even if I have to pay for it myself. I promise
you will never be forgotten.
Those of us who cared for him or anyone who wishes they knew him, let's
think of a way that he would approve of to honor his memory. Any
suggestions?
I cannot type anymore because my tears are interfering with my vision
and my heart, stomach, and mind hurt too much to continue. You will be
sorely missed, Sean. Very few stars in the sky were as bright as you
and your potential was limitless. As Nancy Grace-- whom we so often
discussed-- says: "Goodnight, friend." Thank you for touching my
life. May angels lead you in.
[[Here are some links regarding Sean and his work]]
http://blogs.discovery.com/criminal_report/2009/02/sean-krause.html
David Lohr's goodbye.
http:../../..www. assoc..iated..conte..nt. com/..artic..le/..12113..07/..sean_..kraus..e_..and_..the_..daily.._bs. html
My interview with Sean regarding his work.
http://www.thedailybs.com
Sean's website
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Simon-Barrett/2009/02/25/A-Celebration-Of-A-Young-Life-Lost-Sean-Krause
Radio program devoted to Sean.
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