5/11/04
To Tara's Family,
 
It has taken me a long time to get to the point where I feel comfortable discussing my friendship
with Tara. I remember the first time I met her. It was my first rush as a sister in Alpha Delta Pi.
Tara was my very first rushee ever. I practiced over and over again what I would say to the girls.
But once you start talking, all that practice goes out the window. Anyway, I knew right off that she
belonged in my sorority. We would joke later about how we first met. How I thought she was so
pretty, intimidating, and quiet. She would tell me that when she first saw me, she saw this cute
little girl with short, short hair that made her feel so comfortable to be around.

Tara was accepted into the sorority, but she didn't seem very happy at first. Tara was quiet around
the others. She said she didn't feel comfortable and was thinking about dropping out. This is where
my friend Amy and I (Tara called us the Amy's) really came into the picture. We lived in the same
dorm hall as Tara. One night we decided to visit her where we ended having a long talk with her
concerning her feelings towards the sorority. We talked her out of dropping out and from then on I
saw a side of Tara that I had never seen before. She was the bubbly, sweet, silly Tara that would
leave an impression on me forever.
 
I have so many wonderful memories of  Tara. I remember having an english class together- where we
enjoyed making fun of the professor-who was not a professor but a highschool teacher who taught
English at night. Talking late at night at the Alpha Delta Pi house where we lived together for a
summer. Hanging out with her, Amy, and Ashley and telling each other that we should always keep in
touch no matter what.
 
One instance I remember of Tara being such a good friend was:
Tara was one of those people who made you feel like you were important and she literally would drop
everything to be there for you. I remember wanting to walk on a Friday afternoon. I was staying over
the weekend and everyone else had left to go home. I needed someone to walk with so I decided to go
over to Tara's room and ask her. Now, I knew at the time that she was not into exercise (of course
she didn't need it-she had the perfect figure) but I thought it would give us a chance to talk and
really get to know each other. I figured she would back out, but of course she said OK. As we were
walking out the door, I noticed she didn't have on any tennis shoes. Instead she had on flat
sandals. I joked with her and asked her how in the world was she going to walk three times around
the campus in those shoes. She said she could do it, and sure enough she walked with me the entire
time in those sandals.
 
I miss Tara very much. After college, we kept in touch a lot. Mostly through other's weddings.
Tara was in everybody's wedding. I used to joke with her and tell her that she was going to have the
biggest bridal party because she had been in so many of her friends' weddings. My wedding was the
last time I saw Tara. We had been trying to plan a girls weekend, but because of busy schedules it
never happened. I remember the last conversation I had with her. I hadn't talked to her in months
but it felt like days-because we picked right up from where we left off. I'm sure if I could talk to
her now it would feel like days instead of years.
 
I am very sorry that it has taken me so long to talk to you-her family. I guess it just still
doesn't feel real. She was a wonderful friend to me and so many other people. I wish we could all
wake up and realize that it was just a bad dream; that I'm going to call her and hear her sweet
voice on the other end of the phone. Please know that you are in my prayers and anything that I can
do just let me know. 
 
Love,
Amy Clark Jenkins