Travis By Meghan Burnham

I graduated from high school with Travis. I was not priviledged to be nearly as close to him as many of the people who will write to you will be, but I remember him just the same. Travis was one of those guys who was always there. When I remember high school, there in the background of most of my mental pictures sits Travis. He didn't have to be the star--he was kind of the understated funny guy. Travis had a way of pulling a group together, and even in death that has not changed. When I heard the news of his death, I was deeply saddened. I planned to go to the funeral, but since I hadn't seen Trav since we graduated, I didn't really know what to expect, I just felt I should be there for his family and to honor his memory. It's very easy when you're young to be fooled into thinking that you'll be around forever, and you have your whole life ahead of you to accomplish your dreams; that the day to day isn't so important. Trav didn't live like that. As I sat at his funeral I realized that for him, the day to day was important, and that was evidenced by the number of people represented there from every stage of his life. I also realized that even through his death, he pulled the group together. I found myself in the middle of a bunch of friends I hadn't seen in 5 years. We were all hugging and comforting each other just as we had when we saw each other every day in high school. Some friendships stick even through time, distance, and yes, even death. The days ahead will be hard for Trav's family and friends as we all learn to go on without him. My prayers are with you all. God bless. Meghan Burnham, a friend and classmate.