Jessica Leigh Skelnik was, is, and always will be a light.
When she was here with us, she graced this world with her beauty. Her enthusiasm for life and all it had to offer brought her through each day, good or bad. She loved her family and friends deeply and unreservedly. And while most people guard their heart, she gave it freely to those that required it most. She was always there when you needed her and even when you didn’t. She had the power to bring you out of the darkness with just her smile.
After she was gone, the grief we shared dimmed that light, but never completely. It shone steadily through all the pain as we remembered her beautiful life. Even though tears streamed down our faces, we laughed at the jokes she told, the faces she made, and the fun we had. The sheer amount of lives she touched in the short time she was here is a testament to how spectacular she was. The world will never shine the same.
The loss we feel is deep because the love we have for her is unending. The grief may fade over time, but the memory of her will not. It brightens our days, it lessens our burdens, it calms our hearts. Her beauty and brilliance is still there when we need her. In the sunshine of Summer days and the cool evenings curled up on the couch. In the games we play, in the laughs we share, in the tears we cry. In the fights we have, in the songs we sing, in the love we give. Jessica is there through it all.
Even though she is gone, the light she brought into this world will never go out.