I wanted to also share the speech I gave at the funeral for my friends daughter. Not sure why, maybe its just therapeutic for me. Here it goes:
What can you say when there are no words? What can you do when there is nothing that will take away the hurt?
I stand here today as a representative of a family in grief and a community in mourning.
We are all united not only in our desire to pay our respects to Olivia and celebrate her life, but rather in our need to do so.
All of you being here and the outpouring of love and compassion you have shown is a more tribute to Olivia than I can ever hope to offer.
We gather to celebrate Olivia (beans), who brought joy to so many. A young woman that took joy in the hopes, dreams, and accomplishments of others. A girl who's eyes would light up a room and who's smile was contagious. In every memory I have of her, she is wearing a smile from ear to ear. Just seeing her face would brighten your day.
As parents, our biggest fear is to bury our children; it is so unfair and seems unnatural. The loss of an innocent with so much life left to live defies any understanding. A hole has been carved into our hearts that can never be fully healed.
To her parents, I cannot comprehend the depth of your grief. We all know how much you loved her and how hard you tried to support her in everything that she did.
She was such an extraordinary young woman, and today, we gather to celebrate the life she has lead. Olivia was the very essence of compassion, of style, beauty, and spunk.
This tent is filled to overflowing and everyone here is a testament to the beautiful person that she was, and we can all honor Olivia in the days to come. The connections we have with those of us around us are precious, yet fleeting. I challenge you to grab a hold of your loved ones and tell them how much you love them. Hug them, spend time with them, cherish your relationships. Listen, learn and love, love harder than you ever have before.
We are all fragile right now, so please be especially observant of anyone that seems to be slipping in the struggle to deal with the grief. It is going to be a process that will be ongoing.
Today is our chance to say thank you for the way you brightened our lives. Our lives are indeed better having had you in it, and we are so grateful that we got to take part in your life and you in ours.
You will forever be in our hearts. You will not be forgotten
