Sweet Anne

Today marks two years since so many lives were changed forever. Beautiful Anne Pressly, who was a striking ray of sunshine to all who were fortunate to know her, was taken from us far too soon. But as this week full of difficult memories approaches, I know that Anne would have wanted us to remember her in all her glory -- gorgeous, smiling, enthusiastic, engaging, so close to her close friends and always the life of the party. I can picture her so vividly telling me about a story she was reporting in which she had become fascinated, eating sushi with me at Sushi Cafe, running around Dallas at the Cotton Bowl, a true Razorback fan doing exactly what made her the happiest, recounting some hilarious story from her day at work that left her audience laughing for days, or leading a dance floor full of people in the Cupid Shuffle.

One of the most amazing things about Anne was this ability to bring people together. As she struggled to survive at St. Vincent's that week, everyone who loved her was gathered in a room nearby, waiting for news. And even in the hospital, where we couldn't see her or talk to her, she was the blossom at the center of new friendships that are now tied by an unbreakable and everlasting bond.

On the night she died, I will never forget how I couldn't help but notice that among the many friends wrapped in each other's arms, there were several pregnant women. Anne was no longer with us, but these new babies were almost here. And in the midst of so much pain and sadness, that cycle of life concept provided some semblance of beauty.