Remembering Kelly
My sister Kelly passed away a couple of weeks ago.
Kelly lived a hard life. At least her struggles are over now.
When we were growing up, I so much wished that I could have been her. Or at least her little sister. She had a passion for life that was most wonderful to experience. She also had a very sharp tongue if you managed to cross her! Luckily, she didn't seem to hold grudges for very long.
When I told my family of my challenges with gender, Kelly was by far the most unconditionally supportive of me. She was actually happy for me that I was able to overcome these issues and move forward with my life. I'm really going to miss that support.
I offered the following words during her funeral. Although you probably didn't know my sister, please offer a prayer for her. She was a special person.
-Jess
This message is for everyone, but mostly this message is for the younger folks here...
I want to share with you the greatest gift that Kelly ever gave to me.
Back in the day when we all lived in the house on the river, Kelly and I were just messing around the house. She couldn't have been much more than about 15 or 16 at the time. Well, as I said, we were just messing around when she got this serious look on her face and then she said to me, "Never let them take your dreams away". She went on to tell me that the world loved to steal dreams, and that people and society would more often try to discourage you from your goals than to encourage you to pursue them.
Kelly spoke these words with such sincerity that they've stuck with me all of my life.
Now, although what she said was profoundly insightful, I wasn't the best student. I remembered her words, but I just didn't do the greatest job living by them.
You see, Kelly only told me half the lesson that day, and it took me a long, long time to learn the rest of it. Today I want to tell you the other half.
What Kelly was trying to tell me that morning was that you always had to believe in yourself… to offer yourself your own encouragement, because no one else would be a better advocate for you than you yourself.
What Kelly didn't understand at that time was that sometimes we all need help... sometimes we need a Higher Power in our lives. Someone who is bigger, stronger than ourselves who's love and faith in us is so pure and unfailing that they can pull us out of the holes and obstacles in our lives that are sometimes just too big for us to deal with by ourselves.
Kelly understands this now. She understands just how much he is loved and cared for. She now knows that she didn't need to spend her life fighting all by herself.
So, in closing let me just reiterate.
Never let them take your dreams away. But when the weight of the world is just too much to bear any longer, and you just feel like giving up the fight, remember that you have an unfailing friend in God, who is always there to help you carry the load.
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