"Hello everyone. Thank you all for coming out to pay your respects for my dear sweet girl. Now you all heard the speaker say earlier that Jessica was like a daughter to her. Well to my wife and myself, Jessica was a daughter to us as well. We never had any children of our own so we considered Jessica and Gwen our daughters. To me she was a bright star that was never able to completely shine.
She was full of potential
and all she needed was a way to exert it. Inside of Jessica, there was an
overwhelming amount of love that she gave as freely as the sun rises
each morning. Outside of her was loneliness, which I discovered while
we talked one day. You know, I would whistle at the two of them every
morning to let them know how beautiful they were. They were and are
beautiful individuals."
Mr. Davis went on through low murmurs and sniffling.
"I too will fight with myself, until the LORD helps me to accept what
HE has allowed, over not letting Jessica know how much she has
impressed me with her determination, her drive, her ambition and goals.
I will never be able to let her know that my wife and myself have always
loved her. For that I apologize. While I still have the opportunity to do
so, on behalf of my wife and myself, please allow me to say to Ms.
Matthews that we love you and are here for you for the rest of our lives.
You are now our daughter."
Mr. Davis walked away from the podium as Pastor Brothers stood and
took the microphone to ask if there was anyone else in the building that
had any last remarks. For a moment no one stood. Then at the last call,
Gwen stood and walked to the podium. Tears streamed down her face
while she prepared herself to speak.
"Let me first thank the many of you who have come to show support
for me and pay respects to Jes. Though Jes and I were not related by
blood, she was my sister. She was all that I had in this world. Though
we didn't always see eye to eye on many issues, I respected the choices
that she made because I respected her. I sat in that seat and fought with
myself over saying goodbye to my sister and best friend. I had to think of
all the special moments that we shared. Those moments that are now
memories for me."
Gwen paused for a moment and wiped her face clear of the tears that
fell silently from her eyes.
"After all that I have gone through in my life with losing loved ones, I
thought my time for mourning was over. I realize now that mourning
never ends, it just goes away for a little while, like the change of tide in
the sea. I understand now that you have to love the most that you can
everyday that you have. I believe that if you love that way, the most that
you can everyday, when a loved one passes on, they pass knowing that
you have loved them everyday of the lifetime that they have spent with
you. You have to let them know everyday that you love them in the event
that you don't awaken with them. I tried to love Jes everyday. I tried to
give her all the love that a sister could give. I only hope that I succeeded.
Dear LORD," Gwen said as she began to cry harder and louder, "let Jes
know that I loved her the most that I could everyday."
Gwen fell to her knees at the podium. Brandon hurried to her side
and held her tightly in his arms as she cried uncontrollably. Pastor
Brothers motioned to the funeral staff to prepare the body for viewing.
As the casket opened, conclusion sounded off in the form of aloud cries.
As the guests walked around the church to view Jes' body, some kissed
her forehead while others stood and glanced at her with a smile.