A Tribute to Amy Wright - written by Kendra Ivins

Time is an exquisite thing, no one really knows how to measure it, though we try, and it is never able to be controlled or returned. It is an indefinite thing that is always changing. Human beings have always been amazed by the mysterious features of time, such as its beginning and end. This fascination has been shown through movies, stories, books, legends, and even our day-to-day lives. The most unfathomable part of time is how many people get caught up in the mystery and wonder of it but miss out on the limited amount of time allotted to them. Rarely do people truly learn to appreciate and treasure it for the gift it is until it is too late. As the saying goes, “you never know what you’ve got until its gone.” This concept is so often true with time because it is an invisible thing that gives us a false sense of security. Every person assumes the next moment is theirs to grasp until they realize time was never theirs in the first place to control.

Why is this concept of the fragility of time so embedded in my mind? I just drove home from the hospital where a wonderful girl in her late twenties is on the brink of death. I’ve known her since I was a little girl and she was one of the sweetest and nicest people I think I will ever meet. Though she fully realizes her coming fate and is reminded of it with the constant pain, she met us with a warm smile and heartfelt greetings. She held my hand and said, “This isn’t goodbye forever, I’ll see you soon.” Never have so few words impacted me so greatly. Knowing time is almost gone, she stands tall, happy to the end. She doesn’t worry about the loss of time because she spent hers so well filling others hearts with joy and love. Just as she, I want to be able to look back and smile because I know my life meant something. I am not going to wait until it is too late when life is here, to live now. Classes, sports, friendships, work, and basically all areas of my life are affected by this realization. I have always strived to do my best at all of them but now I realize to live each moment like it is the last one and it takes that to a whole new level. Amy, my friend, and her bravery have impacted me, as well as anyone who knows her, because I strive to influence the next generation just as she invested in me. This experience really made me view my project in a whole new way and give me a love for working with children. Amy helped me to realize my passion as she invested in my life at a young age. Though she will be gone, I hope that through continuing her work with children she will remain in our hearts forever.

Written April 26th, 2011 (3 days before Amy went home to Heaven)