Paying tribute

As I reconnect with Natryn from my last post (see the comments), I am absolutely struck. There is an amazing connection with how I met her, subsequently met Jessica, and then met all of her friends and family. Especially the connection with adoption. Natryn, thanks for showing me your blog. What a testimony to Jessica's life!

Here is something I copied from her blog. Jessica's brother's words from his myspace page:

So I'm writing this because I'm starting to get alot of people asking what's going on, and it's really starting to sink in and it's getting tough to express what's up on an individual basis.

I'll start with a little backround, On St. Patricks Day of 2006 my family grew overnite! A young women named Jessica emailed me to ask if I was her brother. I had been adopted at birth in oregon and as it turned out Jessica is my sister, and I had another sister Michelle and another mom, and a whole ton of other wonderful relatives up in Oregon. As I began to learn about my new family I learned some amazing things about everyone, and one in particular stands out.

When Jessica was in her teens our mom Cheri told her that she had an older brother (me) and that I was adopted at birth. Jessica took this knowledge and did an amazing thing, she began to look for me, and when she had known I was 18 she really began to search. Well long story short, after 10 yrears of searching she found me, right here on myspace, from a blog I wrote some time ago about helping a friend find thier (sic) birth mother. Just this alone has overwhelmend me, and then to finally meet my family was one of the most amazing experiences of my life! You always hear stories about rejection and sadness when birth families are reunited, but not here, I was taken in and embraced by one of the most loving and wonderful families I have ever met! and to think the work of my sister Jessica made this all possible.

Well Sunday afternoon Jessica drowned while doing something she really enjoys, Tubing down a local river in Oregon. I'm at a loss for words 18 months after being reunited with such a loving family I've lost the one who made it all possible. Jessica in the brief time that I've known her has been one of the most wonderful women I've known, Smart, artistic, loving and amazing in so many ways. Just being able to keep up with her and her life through myspace has been such a blessing, but I still feel a void that has been filled has been suddenly emptied. I'm lucky to have known her for the time that I have, but I was so looking forward to getting to know her even more over the years, And I'm not going to have that opportunity. Jessica in such a short time has given me so much! I've gained a new family because of her love and perserverance something I will never lose, but Sunday I lost a sister.