This is Jae.

These words below come from our friends Cris Sweeny and Claire Lardner of Miami who lost their youngest daughter Jae last Wednesday. Eliot and I are are proud owners of paintings from older sister Sage. We know this beautiful family because Sage and Jae, are goddaughters of our close friends Gail and Dawn.

Some of my readers are probably cringing that I am posting Jae’s story on my blog. Her mothers posted it on Facebook today. They are anxious to share their story with others and for everyone to always remember Jae. Their candor is to be admired and respected.

Jae’s godparents , Randy, Dawn, Gail and Ron.

This is an essay Jae wrote earlier this year.

Desire

I just want to escape

this physical world and blend

into the universe

Flow through the abyss

of space as pure energy

And experience what it is like

to finally live

Where everything is blurry

Filled with feelings you can’t describe

But they have a certain feel to them

they’re like ink

dropped in a glass of water

Or the color of a sunset

similar to an exhale

coming from your mouth

and blind smiles into the dark

I want to become

whispered promises to the stars

From those longing another

I don’t want to be someone

or something

I just want to be

The Rev. Martha Shiverick of the Riviera Presbyterian Church, Miami, told the hundreds of folks who showed up this past Sunday to honor Jae at the Celebration of Life service, “Don’t Ask, ‘What If?’ There are no ‘What Ifs’ in a situation like this.”