photo #8625193

One year ago, on this date, we hugged Amy goodbye without knowing it would be the last time. Two hours after leaving the picnic, Amy was killed by a hit and run driver. Since the beginning, we have had others who have passed away, but this was by far, the hardest one to accept and still is to this day. But, as hard as it is to those of us who knew her, it's her family that hurts the most. Amy should still be here. We know how they feel because of losing Billy. We think of them and Amy daily. When we decided to put up a memorial site with a "ghost bike", we weren't quite sure if we should. Worries about the parks and recreation or the city dismantling it were on our minds. A ghost bike is a white bicycle that's locked to a street sign near the site of a fatal bike crash. Ghost bikes are memorials that honor the victims of traffic violence and encourage road safety. We are very glad that we went ahead and took the chance. The memorial site is still there, people sit there a lot, people add items and words and plants, to this day, and people respect and honor the memorial. What we later realized was just HOW important this memorial is to everyone on the streets who loved her.... Amy's life mattered and seeing the memorial makes them realize that their life matters too. Homeless people die every day and no one bats an eye, except maybe their family if they are even found. A lot of the homeless don't even have i.d.s. People living on the streets see people for months and years sometimes and then they're suddenly gone. They don't know what happened to them. We experience this now also. We could give you a longggg list of names of people that we used to see and then one day they're gone... After Billy died, Mom's first time going out to a park, was specifically to find the people who knew Billy and tell them what had happened to him. They told Mom that no one had ever done that and when friends just disappeared they would wonder if they were off the streets, in a hospital, in jail or prison, left the state, died....Many people cried when we gave that horrible news but were thankful for being told and not wondering forever. Amy had a quiet strength about her, the kind that comes from facing the world with nothing but hope and grit. She was a country girl at heart! Life wasn’t always easy, but she carried on with a resilience that turns hardship into wisdom. She saw both the worst and best of people, and yet she still chose to believe in kindness. People who stole her blankets were later given a blanket by her. Her clothes were sometimes worn and tattered, her hands were sometimes a little rough from the road, but she carried herself in a way of strength. She was beautiful. She didn’t ask for much and loved our meals together. Her faith is what kept her moving(literally!), love kept her dreaming, and every sunrise is a reminder that she’s still here, still fighting, still holding onto the hope that tomorrow might just bring a little bit more love into this world. She may be gone, but the goodness of her spirit lingers on. The roads she walked, the hands she held, the prayers she whispered....they all remain, etched in the lives she touched. So Amy's Memorial site is a visual reminder to everyone out there that their lives matter. We will visit the site today as we've done several times over the last year. Last night many of us talked about Amy and her sweet spirit. She was a very loving, kind person. We will never forget her. Our hearts and thoughts are with her family today and always.