...Amy Davidson, a dear friend of mine.
Seven years ago today, July 1st, 1998 a dear friend of mine was suddenly taken away from everyone who loved her. She was only 10 years old and had just finished the 5th grade.
I first met Amy when I started grade 4, I was new to the school and she and a few others became my closest friends during that year. She was a really sweet girl, very intelligent (straight A student), and very caring. I remember I became very ill and missed a month of school one time, my Mom came down to the school a few times to pickup some homework for me and each time she came Amy would run up to her asking if I was okay and when I'd be coming back. One of my fondest memories of Amy is of her trying to teach me to skip (jump rope). If you are all Charlie Brown fans you might remember Peppermint Paddy and Marcey. Well I used to call Amy "Sir" as Marcey did to Peppermint Paddy, and it used to drive her crazy, lol!
I always regret not being closer to her the following year, of grade 5. I was in a different class than all of my friends and sort of drifted apart from them. We all still said "hello" to each other but it just wasn't the same. In May 1998 we had our Sports Day, Amy was an incredible athelete and could out run any girl in the school! She went on to the finals at the middle school nearby where a very unexpected event occured. As Amy was racing across the finish line she collapsed, and was raced the hospital, she had had a heart attack. I'm not sure what happened after that, I don't remember as I was only 10 but a few weeks later she returned to school. The last time I saw Amy was on the last day of school, I saw her get onto her school bus. I stopped and looked at her and thought maybe I should invite her over in the summer... little did I know that in a week she would be gone.
Canada Day 1998. Amy, her parents and two of her friends went to Skutz Falls to go swimming since it was a warm day. While out swimming Amy fanished and no one could find her. Her parents phoned the police and soon there was a search for Amy. Shortly after it began.... they found her, at the bottom of the river, she had drowned. The cause was she had had another heart attack while swimming. The doctors somehow hadn't noticed that she had a hole in her heartand because of it, she was gone. The following day it was on the front page of the newspaper, my parents saw it but decided not to say anything to me, they didn't know how to tell me. I was at an art class that day and my art teacher began to tell me that a girl from my school had died, when she told me it was Amy. I simply said "I knew her..." its all I could say. It didn't sink in until my Mom came to pick me up... then I sobbed the rest of the day. How could Amy die? She was so young, she had so much life ahead of her. A few days later they held a memorial service for her at the school and played "My Heart Will Go On"... I always think of her when I hear that song.
Three years ago, the school decided to make a bench in honour of her and attach a plaque which read "I am the sunshine in the rain" a quote from a poem Amy had written. All of Amy's close friends were there it was good to see them again, as well as her parents which remembered me. I ask that you all light a candle tonight for Amy in her memory.
Amy Davidson
November 12, 1987 - July 1, 1998
(sorry its so long)
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and her family and other friends.
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