Her 24th Birthday

I could go on and on about how terribly she is missed, how unfair it is that she did not live long enough to experience 24 birthdays, how dark and cruel and empty this world feels without her here. This is all true, and is very much a part of every day over the past five months. Grieving someone as special as Beth has been and will continue to be indescribably brutal for all who had the pleasure of knowing and loving her.

On this day - on Beth’s day - I will go on and on about how indescribably incredible she was. How radiant her smile was, how graciously and joyfully she celebrated whenever she had the chance, how distinctly beautiful her laugh was (I can still hear it everywhere), how thoughtfully she cared for others, how attentively she listened, how brilliant she was at anything from jigsaw puzzles to academic research to witty banter, how genuinely hilarious she was, how fiercely loving she was as a sister and best friend, how brilliant, how kind, how compassionate, how funny, how wise.

Today, we eat chocolate cake with vanilla frosting in your honor, Beth. We will visit a moon tree and sit by your favorite patch of ocean and sing your favorite songs and say your name and tell your story to anyone who will listen.

Happy birthday, my beloved sister. I love you, I love you, I love you (x 24 and millions more).