When I was asked to say something today I was relieved, because there was no way I was going to let Ami pass from this world without saying something about how important she was. My only regret is that the whole world isn't listening, for they are unaware of what’s been lost. On the other hand, I hardly need to say anything at all. Everyone who’s ever met her knows what I’m going to say. She wasn’t a quiet mystery. She was everything we all love about being alive.

Wonderful, Beautiful, Sweet, Silly, Strong, Kind, Compassionate, Hilarious, Graceful, Fun, Bubbly and Inspired.

These are all words I’ve read in the last week in descriptions of Ami. From people she’s known and from people she’d just met. She embodied these types of words – the best words in our language. She was the type of person that makes the human race admirable.

When Ami first came to FRHS, we were told, before we even met her, that she had a disease. She probably wouldn’t live to be 22 years old. We knew this before we even met Ami. I’ve known this for 17 years, her family much longer. So why is this so hard? why isn't this expected?...

We stop when we see an exceptionally beautiful sunset. We know deep down that it will not last for long, but that doesn’t diminish it’s beauty. We hold still enjoying every moment.

Always in fear of her sun setting, we wanted to make life better for her. But it turns out that she showed us what we were supposed to be showing her as often as the other way around.

She showed us Strength - how to balance education, music, marriage and kids in the face of a perpetual health crisis.

She showed us Charity - Constantly giving even when in need. We just received a box of baby clothes that she picked out for us when she could have been doing something for herself.

She showed us Humor - Anyone who is capable of laughing knows Ami had an epic sense of humor. Sometimes bitter sometimes sweet - just like life itself. Sometimes an old Jewish lady, but what the hey.

Ami seemed to live faster than the rest of us. Maybe “more efficiently” is a better phrase. If she wanted to try something, she’d try it. Why worry about what's going to be best for you in 20 years?
"Should I get that tattoo? Will I still like it when I'm old?"
Ami was free of this. She had a freedom that was refreshing to be near. She had a presence of being that could be felt in the ease of her laugh.

I think many people simultaneously felt jealousy and pity for her. Nobody wants to live with a death sentence but everyone wants a rich life. To be honest, this is what she had. She had to live with this truth for 30 years. She had to breathe it one breath at a time and even that wasn’t easy. Her disease wasn’t contagious but her life was. We all breathed her in hoping we might catch it.

Breathe easy beautiful girl