A Memory by Aunt Dodie

My earliest memories of Amy are of a charmingly precocious little "fairy princess." Even when she was covered with dirt from digging in the backyard, or covered with blackberry stains from a trip to the berry patch, it seemed that her chubby little feet never quite touched the ground - that she had so much to see and do and explore that she couldn't be slowed down by the practical matters of life. As she grew up I described her as my little bohemian because she was always looking for a new adventure and she was so full of imagination and talent. Last spring I picked her up at the airport to bring her home to her grandparents for some intensive TLC - she was so broken and sad, but she began to recover and blossom under the care of "Grammy" and "Papa" and we had the priviledge of seeing Amy actually begin to appreciate herself and understand how much we loved her. She was excited about the future - her wings were starting to spread again and her fairy princess eyes were sparkling with enthusiasm. She did a lot of hard work when she was in the rehab program and I was so proud of her - I saw so much progress and I wrote the following poem to encourage her a few weeks before she completed her stay. Her name means beloved jewel and I wanted her to know how precious she was to me. This is the way I want to remember her.CherishedSparkling with artistic passion,Brilliantly talented with voice and words.Generous of heart,Tender in spirit.Destined to overcome the demonsWho try to drown her pain.Braver than she knows,Strengthened by the peace of Yahweh.Light as a fairy's whisper,Bold as a princess warrior.A butterfly emerging from the dark,Ready to soar on gossamer wings.This is Amy Crystal - Beloved Jewel.- Aunt Dodie, 8/4/2004