Brittany was the best human there was. I mean that simply and completely.

She was caring. Loving. Selfless in a way that was just who she was, not something she worked at. She gave to everyone around her without keeping score. Without hesitation. She was a model kid. Happy. Always looking after others.

And none of us knew how much she was struggling inside.

That's the thing about this. It can happen to anyone. To someone you love deeply. To someone who seems completely fine. You can be surrounded by people who care about you and still feel completely alone in your pain. Brittany taught us that. And it's why we can't stop talking about it.

When I show up to the car show every year, it's because I know it matters. Not in an abstract way, in a real one. Every conversation we have, every dollar we raise, every person who walks through those gates and feels like it's okay to talk about what they're carrying, that's impact. That's the whole point.

And the walk. There is nothing like the walk. You look around at thousands of people who showed up for the same reason you did, and the weight of it hits you. We really aren't alone. None of us are.

Check on each other. Just be kind. You never know what someone is carrying, even the ones who seem the happiest.

Brittany knew how to make people feel seen. The least we can do is keep doing that for each other.