Kylie Morgan Love

She loved camping, fly fishing, the outdoors, moon flowers, pepperoni, chocolate, country music and animals. She was funny, kind and a perfect mix of her mothers strength of personality and her dad's love and respect of nature and all things outdoors.

Kylie Morgan Love, was the last of the five Love kids. She had turned 18 and she was graduating high school. Her plan? To have an amazing summer and then at some point....she was off to see the world, with perhaps a few other stops in between. She wanted to travel and go places. She wanted to take in every moment of life and experience everything. She wanted to live life on her own terms. She was very much her mother's daughter.

I have known this young lady, since the moment her mom Thiry said, "Guess what? I'm pregnant again." And from the moment Kylie came into this world, Thiry had her hands full, knowing full well that she was raising a child, very much like the child she herself had been. We often laughed about the things Kylie did and said, with Thiry being all too aware that they were reminiscent of her own youth. And I would remind her that God does have a sense of humor and irony.

As Kylie has grown, I have watched her, albeit from a distance at times, turn into an amazing young woman. Yes, she has had her ornery moments, her siblings can attest to that, but she has always gone at life head first. She was blessed to grow up in a family where real life was revered over video games and electronics, as her social media was far less active than most girls her age. When she did post though, it was full of pictures of family, friends, camping trips, hunting adventures with her dad and siblings, fishing trips and beautiful photos she took of her animals and the outdoors wherever she found beauty.

Kylie loved her family and friends fiercely, but possibly her greatest passion was animals. She grew up around dogs and cats her entire life and she seemed to have a special bond with animals of all sorts. It was this love that brought her to become an animal advocate, raising awareness of the dangers of trash (boxes and bags in particular), that can blow out of trash cans and cause suffocation death for animals. Kylie's beloved little Australian Shepherd Rylee, died from suffocating in a cereal box. It was devastating to her and made her realize that if we all just took that extra step to tear the sides out of our cereal-like boxes, this could help save another puppy like Rylee. Yes, you could say she became passionate about this, because to Kylie, they weren't just pets, they were family.

There was no doubt Kylie had friends. She had cultivated many in her school years in Rose Hill schools and her years of playing volleyball. She had an amazing heart and she was funny and silly and someone people just liked and wanted to be around. Some of her friendships were life long and she was particularly fond of one young man named Ethan, who shared her love of the outdoors, animals, country music and who seemed to have stolen her heart.

At home Kylie was the "little sister," sometimes walking in her older sister Alex's shadow. I didn't see Kylie often, but one time when she was about 5 or 6, she was at my house. Everyone was swimming and she and Alex got into it, and then Thiry stepped in. Kylie got in trouble and had to go in the house. I walked in a bit later and she was sitting on the couch, somewhere between mad and wishing she were back outside. I asked her what was wrong and she said that Alex had made her mad. Little arms folded across her chest, it was quite obvious she was not happy with the situation, Then her little frame softened and she said, "I wish I was like Alex." There was a complete change in her face. I said, "Why do you want to be like Alex?" Then with almost a defiant attitude, as if I should just simply know this, she said, "Because Alex is smart and she is pretty and Brandon (her oldest brother) likes her best." I remember laughing at this view of her sister from her 5 or 6 year old vantage point. Kids are pretty honest though, and I think that she really did admire her older sister and aspire to be like her, and although throughout the years they could fight like it was their job, Alex and Kylie had a sister bond that was unbreakable. No one messed with Kylie's sister and vice versa.

As for Kylie's brothers..... It is funny how that little sister goes from being a pain in their brother's butts to the one they feel responsible for and have to look out for and finally, to that young woman they become so very proud of and call....friend. With her brothers, Kylie had been all those things and was just becoming that beautiful friend.

To Thiry and Kelly (Kylie's dad), Kylie was their baby. She was 18, graduating and they were inch by inch preparing themselves to let go and let Kylie fly. She wanted to get out of Rose Hill and travel. She wanted to see the world. While her house in Rose Hill would always be home, she longed to experience the things she had only read about and dreamed of. Thiry and Kelly understood this and knew that soon she would be on her way.

Kylie had an amazing life for an 18 year old. She had been given a good foundation by her parents, learned social skills from her siblings and had a kindness and generosity of spirit that was way beyond her years. She made people smile and in a day and age of "imitation," she was always her genuine, authentic self. A bright star, outshining all the rest.

Sadly, on Saturday, May 9, 2020, there was a terrible car accident, and in moments, this bright star was gone. It was sudden, it was awful and it broke the heart of everyone who knew and loved her. It was one of those things that we simply can't comprehend, how someone so beautiful and bright can be gone so suddenly.

The loss of Kylie has been about the only thing on my mind for the last 36 hours. I am a person of faith and I do intellectually understand that death is as much a part of life as living. That being said, when someone like Kylie dies so suddenly, you can't help but wonder about the why's and the what ifs. Thinking about this beautiful young woman though, I realize, that in some ways she put more love, life and passion into her 18 years than some people do in a life decades longer. She left impressions on our hearts and memories in our lives that will never be forgotten. In so many ways, Kylie lived life on her own terms and even though her life was not nearly long enough for those of us left behind, she made every moment of that life count.

I once read a book about heaven, and it said that when someone dies, because they are with God, they are immensely happy and not for one second are they alone from the moment of their death, on throughout all eternity. They are so happy in fact, that they are shielded from our sadness, knowing that one day we too will be with them again and know their joy. I believe this is true and I believe as much as she lived and loved in this life, she is doing the same in heaven right this very minute.

Today, on Mother's Day, I feel such sadness for Kylie's loss and my heart is just devastated for Thiry and Kelly. There are no words, to bring comfort and nothing can be done but to fight through the pain. In time though, the pain will lessen for those who loved this extraordinary young lady, and we will smile and be grateful that God gave her to us.....even for a little while. 

Kylie Morgan Love

Nov. 20, 2001 - May 9, 2020

The world is a little less bright without you!