I could tell you...

I could tell you who she was...the beauty, the intelligence, the ambition, the fiery soul, the funny girl, the spiritual soul...I could tell you all she left behind, all who cry for her...The grandmother who already had a father killed in front of her and now more sorrow...The sister (an "orphan" sister, in a sense) who now faces life as an only child...The father, step father, step mother who raised her with every ounce of their strength and time and patience and love... ALL the relatives, best friends, teachers, and so many more who loved her spirit and liveliness...



I could describe what we lost, what the world lost. She's been taken away, she's gone. Yes, I have the photos and memories. But I can no longer look into my 19 year old daughter's eyes and see the baby/toddler/child reflecting from inside.



I could tell you that I feel her all around me. I smell her, sense her. I know her spirit lives on.



I could tell you all this--and so much more--and it would be true. But all I need to tell you is that she is my daughter, and I love her with all my heart. That is who I lost. She is my daughter and she is gone. That says it all.