Friend shares tribute to blast victim

WILSON, N.Y. (WIVB) - The western New York community is wrapping their arms around the Johnson family, after the home explosion earlier this week. In the blast, 14-year-old Sarah Johnson lost her life.

>> Full Coverage: See photos of the explosion, the victims, and the vigil. Listen to audio of crews learning of the devastation. Read stories about the community coming together for the Johnson family. And find out how you can help.

Zipporah Barrett wrote a tribute to her best friend Sarah Johnson, to help her cope with the loss. Zipporah shared the tribute with News 4 Friday. You can read her tribute below.

I Can Only Imagine By Zipporah Barrett

When I think of you and our future as friends:
I can only imagine riding in your vegetable car.
Dancing at our Senior Prom, even though you said you were no good.
Taking care of your goats and naming each one.
Teaching me how to speak German, so that you and I could talk secretly in school.
You bringing me a dog on my next Birthday, even though you knew my Mom said no.

Walking down the halls to “Living Environment” class together.
Taking baby and cooking classes together.
Being captains when we are seniors for the girl’s track team.
Running for office during our senior year.
Home Coming 2012, in our new dresses and the excitement we feel.
Going to a medical college, because you wanted to become a veterinarian and I an OBGYN.

Your face when you saw my new hair do.
Attending "True Love Waits" classes and getting our promise rings.
Looking forward to the 2014 Band Trip together.
Sleeping outside on my trampoline, because the idea sounded fun.
Telling me about your first kiss, and me telling you about mine, how exciting!
You and I arguing in class and Marlowe breaking us up.

Continuing the Amazing Race and the Salmon Run, for years to come.
Your sad face when I tell you, ‘no”, you cannot straighten my hair.
What my Birthday card would have looked like, because you came up with
something new every year.

When I think of all our memories I remember:
Kingdom Bound 2011, (and that creepy guy who stared at us).
Tenting again,no matter how hot or cold it was outside.
Hilbert College Basketball Camp 2012, where we met new people and made new friends.
JV Soccer with everyone asking us for money to buy snacks at the Concession stand.
All of your weird dreams, because none of them were realistic, like the one about you losing Sam in a balloon factory, or the one about when Ben and Riley were staring at you eating candy bars.

How your face lit up when you were telling Lauren and me a funny story, and at the end neither of us laughed
because it actually was not funny, until a couple seconds after and all of us burst out laughing.
Watching your Dad fall asleep in weird positions.
One-on-one at Hilbert Basketball Camp
Spit games..

Watching “How I Met Your Mother” together.
Watching “The Bee Movie”, and especially the part where the bee says
“Are you going to give this to the white men?”
Watching “Ratatouille”, and getting hungry, because the movie is all about food.
Eating cold pizza at 11:30 at night, even though it wasn’t good.

Making more songs that no one else understood, but us.
Me doing your hair in different styles and finally mastering
the braid that we always talked about.
Sam, you, and I, playing Fifa, even though I was terrible.
Walking to T & Rs, after Regents and not having enough money to buy anything.
“Silent lunch” when you, Lauren, and I were all mad at each other.
Another lotion war.

Us playing “Sims 3”, for another 6 hours.
You getting scared because my piano shook when you ran into our computer room.
Praying before meals at Basketball Camp.
Your faith and relationship with God.

Sarah….. You were and still are my best friend. You were someone I could trust with even my deepest, darkest secrets. I will never forget you and the memories, for as long as I live. I miss you so much. I know now that no words can describe you and the amazing friendship that we had, because you weren’t only my best friend, you were the closest friend I have ever had.

PS: Put in a good word for me up there. I LOVE YOU!
Z Out!!