Arina. There are so many things I can say about her. The sister I never had. She was the most amazing human. I know at every memorial, they have to say that, but no one was amazing like her. Hilarious. Sarcastic. Kind. Strong in her faith. Honest with her words. Empowering and naturally beautiful. The kind of pretty where she smiles with her whole self. My very best friend.
As hard as this grief is, I’m grateful for it. It is the greatest gift to miss Arina. It reminds me how lucky I was to love her and be loved by her. So I hope this grief never leaves me, because she wasn’t just my best friend. She was my soul mate.
I’ve missed Arina in every single moment since she left. She was the first person who made me feel like I didn’t need to fix myself to be loved. Someone like her won’t have a memory that will just vanish with time. She becomes a part of you. Shaping the person you are. The way you see the world. The way you love Jesus.
Arina loved advocating, vlogging, traveling, stormy days, human connections, music from 2010, whimsical dresses, wearing her hair in a braid, her service dog Elliot and telling anyone and everyone about God. She would always say she was so excited to get to heaven to know overwhelming joy. To know what being pain free felt like again.
She is a one in a million kind of friend who I will spend a lifetime missing. Someone had told me “some people come to this earth for a short time to show us heaven is real and that angels exist” and that couldn’t ring more true for a heart as pure and impactful as hers. I’ll love her forever and I can only hope that everyone can find a friend like her.
If anyone would like to look up her instagram or YouTube channel—she would love that! Thank you for supporting my bestie girl.
Arina’s Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/lydia.arina/
Arina’s YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@arinabarron
(Courtney Roise)
