Dear Sherri

In photographs of you on the wall you are beautiful and confident intelligent and caring happy, smiling I was always able to make you laugh always close to you I would follow you anywhere as if I held your hand and would never let go I know you forgive us You forgive your students You forgive your dear friends You forgive your lovely daughters You forgive your loving husband You forgive Mom and Dad You forgive our brother and sister And you forgive me We all loved each other without even trying How could we know, how could you that your time would end? It’s still hard for me to imagine the rest of us here without you except that my throat tightens and my eyes water How could any of us help except to love and forgive?