Amber lived every moment like it might have been her last, pouring all her energies into the journey, not saving anything for the return trip. She did it with her family, school, career, friends, community. You know it when you first meet her, and still remember the day you became friends.
She lived life like she was dying. The first Monday after I returned from Vegas, our closest friends gathered impromptu (I later learned it was planned) at my house. And that's what I said about her at the end of a heartfelt spiel, not at all aware that I would later hear the song for the first time that would hit me like an M1 Abrams. If you knew anything about me, I stayed away from two radio bands -- country and western. But like I find myself doing so often, I sought solace in places and habits and times in which I could perhaps know her better -- country and R&B music, love songs, sappy books. Everything she did was worth doing twice better than anyone else. It wasn't just the house, the car, the clothes, the beautiful people -- she made you want to love her and be her and be around her. She was a Rock Star!