I remember our first phone call after her cancer diagnosis. We had been texting about it since she found the lump in the shower that day. But the first call after multiple appointments…I remember it clearly. She talked about the treatment plan, Mary’s wedding, dying her hair. She talked and I wanted to cry, but if she weren’t crying, I shouldn’t be either. I sat on the phone in awe of her peace and strength. It was grace; she was full of peace, and I loved that about her.

My name is Autumn, but Kara often called me her Diana. We met in North Carolina, October of 2004. I had a 19-month old and she had Ella, 3, and Harper, who was only a month old. I am quiet, especially in a large crowd, and Kara was not quiet and crowds brought out the best in her; yet we hit it off quickly. Neither of us could remember the exact moment when we became close, but it was shortly after meeting and my family buying a house across a main road from the Tippetts the following July. We may not remember the exact moment of intimate friendship, but through the years we often remarked how thankful we were that God gave us each other.