In Remembrance

One year ago today, my sister Amanda passed away at the age of 25 in Greece. She touched so many lives through her compassion, her sense of humor, and her love. She believed strongly that she could change the world through serving others. Her capacity to affect change can be witnessed even today. Last year, a scholarship fund was started in her name at the New Community Project in Elgin, IL. Donations to this fund will support the education of young women and girls in Sudan.

http://www.newcommunityproject.org/amanda.shtml

In addition to this fund, a new scholarship will begin this fall at Bridgewater College in Virginia, Amanda's alma mater. The scholarship will be available to students who are involved with volunteer services in the community, those who are continuing Amanda's legacy at Bridgewater.

Life continues to move on. The intense grief and sadness of last summer and fall have subsided now. I no longer wonder why this happened and I don't dwell on the details of how it happened. Now, when I think about Amanda, I simply miss her presence.

Her passing, while tragic, was not meaningless. Our lives have all been transformed in ways that are difficult to describe. Each day now has taken on a new richness. Every action matters now, because we understand how precious life is and how little time we have to waste. I'm comforted by these words by John O'Donohue:

Let the silent tears flow

And when your eyes clear

Perhaps you will glimpse

How your eternal child

Has become the unseen angel

Who parents your heart

And persuades the moon

To send new gifts ashore.