It was four years ago today that Cheryl Everett's body lost the fight to disease. This disease called Huntington's Disease. Four years that she has not been with us. Four years of so many life events she has missed out. Four years of growth in grandchildren and even a new grandchild and some more great grandchildren.
After four years, it has gotten easier to think about her and the many memories that we have of her. But that doesn't mean we aren't sad and that we miss her any less. That couldn't be farther from the truth. We still miss her and still get sad when we think about her. I don't think there will ever be a time that we don't miss her no matter how many years go by.
The thing is, she wouldn't want us to be sad. She wouldn't want us to dwell on how much we all miss her. Instead, she would want us to celebrate her life and our lives, too. If she were here today, she would tell us all that we have so much to be grateful for and so many better things to do instead of worrying about her. And so, this year, I want to celebrate all that she has given us. If it weren't for her, there would no Everett kids. There would be no Bill, Debbie, Craig, Robert, or Kevin. And I have to say, I am especially partial to Robert. Plus, there are all the grandchildren and some great grandchildren that are here as a result of Cheryl. We have so much to be thankful for and so much to celebrate as a result of her life.
So, while we do miss her and are sad she is no longer with us, we can celebrate the life that she had and the lives we all have because of her time on this earth. And we can continue to support the effort to find a cure so that her future generations will have a life free from HD.
Cheryl, I hope you are still enjoying dancing with Elvis.
