Found this while looking around my google docs. Thought I would share it:
I was there for many of the most significant moments in Amber’s life. I was in the hospital shortly after she was born. I was with her when she learned to crawl. When she took her first steps, and when she said her first words. Naturally, Adam was one of the first. All I keep thinking is the tragedy of this happening to someone so young. What we need to do now is celebrate the life she did experience, and not the life she never had. I will always remember the times she spent sitting beside me asking me to read her a book. We had a special bond, the kind of connection that not even this can break. She loved to listen to music, to dance around when my Dad would put on her favorites; Pink Floyd, Willie Nelson, and especially Bob Marley. Amber was a reggae girl at heart. That always made me smile, it reminded me of who she really was. A free spirit, someone who threw herself at life and didn’t wait on the sidelines. I know she’s in heaven with Grandpa now, and I know he’ll watch over her. I look at my cat Aslan and I remember all the times Dad and I had teaching Amber to be gentle with him. Over time, they seemed to become the best of friends. Perhaps they were kindred spirits, full of curiosity and ready for whatever the world had to offer. With Aslan back with me, it’s a constant reminder of my sister,a way for my heart to hold on to her. She was an amazing girl, so full of joy and light. I pray we can all take something from this grave event and honor who she was not who she could have been. Everyday I thank God for giving me a sister like her. She touched my life in ways I’ll never be able to describe.
Amber had a way about her. She seemed to always have a mischievous glint in her eye, a sense that life was there to be enjoyed, not just to observe. Yet there was something else in those big brown eyes of hers. A seriousness, a purpose, an old soul. We lost our grandfather the same day our sister was born and my Dad always believed they must have met as they passed each other on their journeys. We know she was here for a reason and even though her life was cut short, we believe she fulfilled that promise. She was an emblem of life, of faith, and of possibility. Who will ever be able to understand why such a sweet precious girl was allowed so little time with us. When we first saw her, everything shifted, became redefined. Suddenly there was a baby girl in our family. We had a little sister. A little sister as stubborn as the rest of us, but yet filled with sweetness and wonder at the possibilities life had to offer her. For some of us, Amber was a bridge between us and our father. For that alone, we want to thank her. There is no sense as to what happened and maybe there never will be. We know she is at peace and will be waiting for us when the time comes. Alison told me a story recently about Amber getting herself into trouble, you know the kind of trouble only 2 year olds can get themselves into. Instead of taking responsibility for herself, she decided it would be a good idea to blame me. So every time my Dad asked her what had happened, she just kept saying Adam did it. She was a smart girl, she knew if she didn’t want to get into trouble herself she had to find an excuse she thought my Dad would find believable. That ‘s pretty wise for a child. Though her life was far too short, her impact will be felt forever. Goodbye, our baby girl, we’ll all miss you. More than words can express you were loved, you were treasured, you were a gift. We love you and will never stop thinking of you. It was a privilege to have had you as a sister.
Adam Joel 