I'm sorry, but this blog cannot be about Mockingjay today. It just can't. There are more important battles today than Katniss'. The most important battle one family will ever face was lost today.
This morning, at 3am her time, a girl by the name of Esther Earl passed away. She was just sixteen years old.
I won't claim to have known her that well - we tweeted at each other back and forth a few times, but other than that I won't pretend I was exactly her best friend.
But she touched my heart as she touched so many others.
You see Esther had terminal cancer, but she refused to let that get in the way of life. Instead she took every oppurtunity she had in the time she had left to make her big heart go a long way, and a nicer girl you will literally never find.
Her message of hope, and of love was and is an inspiration to Harry Potter fans and nerdfighters alike, and indeed it was in part because of Esther that the Harry Potter Alliance was able to band together to win the Chase Community Giving Challenge, earning $250,000 for a charity which was so near to her heart.
A wise old wizard once said that to the well organised mind death is but the next great adventure, and I know deep down that that's true. Somewhere, Esther is being her bubbly, happy self, spreading her message of love across the whole universe.
So we say goodbye for now Esther Earl. I hope to see you again, and to adventure with you in eternity. I will not say Rest In Peace, for I do not believe you are resting. I believe you are off somewhere being the little bundle of life and of love that we all knew.
Instead I will sign off as your friend John Green would: DFTBA Esther, and best wishes.
Laurie was telling me about this earlier. It's hard to believe she was still tweeting yesterday before passing away. So sad.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great tribute and very fitting of the struggles this poor young woman has had to contend with from such a young age. Very nicely written, just a shame that it comes along with the loss of life.
RIP Esther.