We have all gathered here because Jean has died. This has been a terrible loss, a tragedy, especially how it happened. She had heart failure and surgery for a heart transplant, and she has had blood flowing into her lungs. She died because the operation failed for her getting a blood clot in her lungs to prevent the blood from flowing in. It’s a tragedy, isn’t it, especially for someone so young, only 15 years young. Her loss is truly saddening to everyone I can think of.
I can’t even imagine what her parents, Mr. and Mrs. G, are going through, all because they lost not only their only daughter, but also their only child. I may not be able to imagine what her parents are going through, but I know what her family is going through because I’ve lost my grandma. It may not be the same thing—she was too young to be a mother, much less a grandmother—but she was still a family member, she still had a family.
And I can also imagine what all of her friends and close friends are going through. Jean and I were best friends, exactly like sisters. We helped each other through our roughest times and shared good times. Nothing could separate us. Nothing except for death. But even now, as she’s passed, I still feel her presence in my heart, because nothing can separate her memories from me.
I cry thinking of her, and when I found out about her death in school, I just broke out crying, and it was hard for me to stop crying for the rest of the day. Luckily, I had friends to support me and for me to lean on. But I still cry because I can’t forget all the things that she helped me go through. But I know she doesn’t want me or any one else to cry over her.
We’ve had a lot of late night talks over the phone. Part of the times, we talked about death and where we would go after that and all of that sort of stuff. She said herself that she doesn’t like when people cry over people who have passed, even though she admitted she’s done for her grandfather’s. She doesn’t like it because it wouldn’t do anything; it wouldn’t make the person come back, and the people crying wouldn’t be able to get over the death faster.
And this is why I’m trying not to cry over her death, I’m trying to get over her passing. She wouldn’t have wanted me to cry over her and she doesn’t want any of you all to cry over her. She would want us all to move on without her, as if she never died, or if she never were. I’m not saying to forget about her at all, I can never forget about her myself. What I’m saying is to move on, knowing that that’s what she would have wanted everyone to have done.
She may be gone, but she’s still in our hearts. She’s gone physically, but she’s with us. Her soul, her spirit, her essence, her presence, her memories, everything else of her is still with us. If we just think of those other things, we’ll be ok, we’ll make it through, and we’ll all make it through with each other. We’ll have each other to lean on to and we’ll have just enough strength to go on. And remember, never forget Jean, and always keep her in your hearts. She’s in a good place, hopefully going to heaven, with God.
Always remember,
Never forget her,
And we’ll have each other,
To lean on to
After her passing