Amelia and I started hanging out in 2005. It was an unlikely friendship because, honestly, we seemed so different. A mutual friend assured me that she was cool so I went with him to get her. She sat in the front seat of the car and the silence was akward. Then she put a CD in the CD player and she seemed to have a mix of all of my favorite songs!! We immediatly clicked from that day on. I looked up to her, really. She had this confidence that girls only wished they had. It was truly a gift. 

One day we were at my house getting ready to go out for the night. I put on my sweatshirt and was getting ready to go out the door. Then she asked me, " why do you always wear that hoodie? You have such a great body." I replied that I just didn't feel confident in anything else. She refused to leave the house if I wore the hoody. So, she gave me one of her shirts. I put it on and we left the house. That night I met the love of my life and he LOVED the shirt I was wearing. From that day on I had the confidence to be comfortable in my own skin. For that, I am forever in her debt. Thank you Amelia for making me feel okay for being me. I love you girl.

I was just remembering one year when i went to go visit Indiana the first and last time i saw you in person. We were guessing 11-12 years old. My mom brang her video camera and we were trying to hide from her. We all three me you and Elisha has long cave women hair then lol... We were dodging my mom and when she caught us we were crawling the floor and escaping to yalls room. I remember going downstairs with you and Elisha cause we decided we wanted to go to the school park, so i was playing with Elisha and you were trying to find socks in the dryer and kept yelling "crystal these ones?" "these ones Crystal"? Then i was like huh? you said "these ones"? (a black solid sock in one hand and a striped colorful sock in the other hand) lol i said no those don't even match and you were like ahhhh and kept looking for a pair. We then went to the park and that was such a fun day. I did go back to Indiana 2 more times, and I'm sorry i never went by to visit. I'm sorry we weren't closer. It doesn't matter your my cousin and im so sorry you are gone, i know that you are in a better place we will all get to see one day. But this is really hard doesn't matter if i talked to you everyday i couldn't sleep at all last night i mean not even a hour. I was scared wondering where you were, thinking of your siblings and parents. I hope that you are looking down at everyone. Gosh, Amelia you are to young to have left this world already, grandpa loves you so much i talked to him last night and this morning. We all love you and you are going to be missed forever. I hope you love the flowers we are sending you, i wish we could travel up there to see you. But i know you are looking at us from here and im okay with that. Save us all a spot up there i know it gets crowded :) i love you cousin, may you rest in peace.

love your cousin,

crystal Perez