Dear Tyler Rhodes

Dear Tyler Rhodes,

I may not have known you, but I've heard you were a good person. You could've walked away from that fight, but you didn't think they would pull a knife. You were just trying to talk them down. But they attacked you and your death resulted in that. I hope they catch them for your sake. Maybe you've forgiven them, of maybe you haven't. You died in what I think is an honorable way.

Many people hold onto your memory, even if you only died two days ago. A lot of people loved you and were crying at the news of your death. They had grief counsolers set up all around school. There wasn't one person with a heart that wasn't sorry about your death. Someone so young doesn't deserve to die.

They said you were a great student who always made others smile. I'll bet you had a great future laid out in front of you. I'll bet you were going to get married to a beautiful wife and have children. You would have gotten a good job and supported your family. But that was taken away from you, and you didn't deserve that.

I heard you had a beautiful smile with shining teeth. Maybe your smile was just too radiant to stay on Earth. Maybe God wanted it up in Heaven with Him so He could look at it all day long. I know you're in Heaven from what I've heard about you. And I'm sorry for adding this paragraph if you didn't believe in God.

You're the first person to have been in my school and died. I didn't know how to react. But I believe that you are happy in Heaven and that makes me happy as well. I experienced both the pain and joy of your death. Maybe if I'd known you I wouldn't be able to experience the joy, but I know you're in Heaven so I'm happy for you.

Everywhere people go there are reminders of you, even if not intentional. In a movie we watched today it had a ranch with your name. People were tearing up just at the sight and they all had to look away. There was a moment of silence for you on the announcements today, that was when people really started crying. And you should have been listening to those announcements, but you were no longer on Earth to do so. Some people refuse to call you dead, and say you're just on vacation and they'll see you again someday. A teacher who a had you as a student remembered the seat you were in and said no one would ever sit there again. That is now your seat. Another teacher remembered how great of aperson you were and started crying so hard they had to get a subsitute for him.

The sadness will go away soon and people will start celebrating your life, because you lead a great one. It's a shame it had to be cut short.

Rest in peace,
A Girl You'll Never Know