It hurts and hurts deep. Something has been removed from our very being that cannot be refilled or replaced. It is very comforting to have so many family and friends here for support. Linda, Robert, and I cannot express our gratitude enough.
Most everyone here knew Mandy and knew that she could be a stubborn pain in the butt. Linda would always say to me “she is your daughter” when that stubborn streak would surface. When her mind was made up there was no stopping her. Linda and Mandy could be like oil and water and she could drive Linda up the wall in a minute but Mandy knew that if she needed someone, we were there for her and when we needed her she was there for us. Even when someone wasn’t speaking to the other, we all knew that the underlying love for each other would always prevail. This is the very definition of a family.
Mandy’s astrological sign was Pisces which is the fish sign. And boy how she loved the water. When we would go swimming, she was always the first one in and the last one out. Even if it would start getting dark, she would be shivering, and her lips would turn blue, we would still have to drag her out of the water.
Mandy loved to write. She would write to her friends and family and stayed in touch with many friends over many years. She would also like to write short stories. She was a good writer and we all loved reading her stories.
Snowboarding was one of Mandy’s passions. Even though she basically didn’t like winter, she made the most of it by snowboarding. She was really good at it and she was always upgrading her equipment to the next best thing. She worked at the Starting Gate for many years and even part time at the Shawnee Ski resort in the winter.
Mandy always loved music. When she was a teenager she started listening to a lot of 60s & 70s music and we would spend countless hours listening and discussing all types of music. Mandy loved the Beatles and would play them repeatedly. Her taste was much broader then mine and she would always insist that I should broaden out as well. Every time I hear the Cure or Beastie Boys I will remember it was her who got me to listen to them.
Mandy met her love Chris about 2 years ago. This was one of the best things that ever happened to her. Somehow he managed to do in 2 years what we have been trying to do for 23 years. The last couple of years of her life have been the happiest and for this, we will always be grateful.
Last year she decided to go back to school and start working on her career and she did it with enthusiasm and determination. I could not have been more proud of her.
One of the things I will miss most about Mandy is that she was the only one who laughed at all of my jokes, good or bad. I would know when she was just being kind or really laughing because her nostrils would flare out and in. The two funniest moments that come to mind is we were driving back from NY when a car in front of us was not driving well. I said that I need to pass this clown and when I finally did, it was really a clown in full costumer driving. Another time we were driving through Matamoras, PA and I looked right at Mandy and asked her “what’s a matter morris?”. She must have laughed for 30 minutes.
We would like to think that there is some purpose in the grand scheme of things for this tragedy but at this time I can’t think of any. Mandy wasn’t religious in the traditional sense but she was spiritual. When her grandfather passed away she said she could feel his presence much the same as I can feel her presence here and now. If her soul lives on then I take comfort knowing that she is in good company with deceased family and friends and one day I will be in her company again.
Mandy will always live on in our memories and we will never let those memories be forgotten.