The below is a version of the REM song "Everybody Hurts", song so beautifully by Usher and the winner this year of The Voice.  Although I cry throughout watching the video, I still feel close to her, as I picture myself singing this to her and rocking her:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JszPlO41_lo    (please copy and paste in your browser)

I will continue to "hold on" to my memories of my baby, and to "hang on".  I love you, sweetie.

Mom

In elementary i didnt have many friends.  I knew of her and we talked but we weren't really good friends till 6th grade. We would draw, read, and play games at recess and lunch all of 6th grade. She was always nice. We were always good friends i always thought of her. she will always be apart of who i am. I miss you Sarita. im so happy I met her. 

I picked Sarita up from school for a while and took her back to her house. I always picked her up in my then boyfriend's cherry red Mustang. He always talked about putting a subwoofer in it, but never had the money. One day I picked up Sarita and I turned up the music for her and asked if she felt anything different. She sort of turned and looked at me as if I was a little crazy before starting to laugh and noticed the sub woofer. He'd gotten it and not told me. It was so nice sharing those little moments with her. Our age difference didn't matter a whole lot and I loved sharing any advice she asked of me.

I loved when she shared her artwork too. It is such a window into her beautiful soul.  

Sarita, you inspire me to live life to the fullest and to leave everyone with a warm feeling, listening to people as you did. Thank you for letting me into your life and being as wonderful as you are. You are loved so dearly and I miss you tons. 

Dear Sarita,

Uncle Mike & I went for a walk on your birthday, December 16th. It was a spring like day here, at least  springlike for New York in December. It was sunny and in the 50's. The birds were singing up a storm. We were at the same park that we had taken you and Catherine to on each of your visits back east. We used to look for turtles sunning themselves on the logs in the pond.

As we were walking along the path, a bright red male Cardinal flew out in front of us and flew into a tree just up from where we were. A few seconds later, he was followed by a female Cardinal who flew into the same tree. They stayed a few seconds, flying from branch to branch and having a good time, and then flew out of the tree together towards a marshy area of the park.

Cardinals are said to symbolize hope, joy, health, rejuvenation and celebration. I had heard that Cardinals are signs that loved ones are around, that when Cardinals appear in your yard, it's a visitor from heaven and that angels are near.

Your Uncle Mike & I are now believers. It's more than coincidence to be in the park we've walked with you, on your birthday, and see the first Cardinals of the winter. Thank you for letting us know you are safe and at peace. We miss you a great deal, but will now look forward to "seeing" you this winter when the Cardinals come to visit. 

We will always love and miss you.
Love,
Aunt Judy & Uncle Mike 

Happy 19th Birthday Sarita!

Thank you for the Beautiful Sunrise this Morning, what an amazing birthday gift you've sent to us, thank you for gently waking me up this morning so I could capture it on my camera & share it with the one's that Love & Miss you so Very Much....I've posted it in your photo's for all to see....

I wish for you Peace, Love & Serenity Forever....

Your forever in my Heart Sweet Spirit Soar with the Angel's!

Love Always

Grandma Theresa

XOXO

One of the things that I remember about Sarita was her intense interest in and compassion for living things, whether they were insects, reptiles, fish, birds, or mammals. During Sarita’s, Catherine’s, and Beth’s last visit to our house in New York, in the summer of 2013, we found out that our beloved cat, Samantha, had terminal cancer and had only a few weeks left to live. In response to a message we sent Sarita after she got back home, updating Samantha’s condition, Sarita emailed Judy and me the following:

“I read the news, and Sammi is amazing. I really love her. I'm so sorry, that the surgery couldn't be an option but I know that she's not in pain and that makes me feel better. I love both of you and I really appreciate the updates on Sammi. I keep thinking about her while I'm home petting our own animals and I can relate, when you love a family member so much. I would be happy to draw a picture of Sammi so you could frame it, as a good luck charm. She is sweet, your right. I don't think anyone could have asked for a better cat companion. Sammi, this is to you: I love you girl. You are sick, a sweetie. I'm glad I got to meet you and feed you treats this time. I know when I was younger I moved quite fast, and now that I'm older I try to make sure I don't frighten you.  I love you Sammi, and you were given a great home. Love you all. Wishing the best ❤  “

-Sarita

A few weeks later, when we had informed Sarita that Samantha had died, she wrote:

“I'm so sorry Sammi had to go. She was in deed a wonderful cat, and I'm glad I got to see her before she passed. You have my deepest sympathy. thank you for the photos, I'm working on the pictures, I'm doing one in charcoal, the other in pencil and the last in colored pencil. Its nice to see how lively sammi was, in the pictures you sent . i have To say she enjoyed being your cat, she was loved, by two amazing people, who gave her everything she needed. I loved seeing her sit by the door for her treats. It was very cute. She even started to follow me when I went to get the olive oil. I love Samantha, when I was little I wanted to take her home with me to California. I've been a little busy, with work and school starting but I haven't forgotten your scrapbook. It's a work in progress and I want it to be perfect, because I know how much I enjoy looking back at the scrapbooks you have made me and I hope you can look back at mine and feel the same. I wear my necklace that aunt judy helped me create, and I've been looking at photography, thinking about how I can improve my skills. I took some of my little brother, and it was so fun to see what I could catch as he ran around playing baseball with his team. We have a new puppy, her name is Sarah, very Ironic since my name means "little Sarah" . I'm so jealous of your backyard. I keep thinking about how cool it would be to take a large piece of wood and carve something. I love you guys, wish I was closer so I could give you both hugs. I’ll send a hug from here.  Love you! “ 

-Sarita

Sarita you were a pretty amazing person yourself. We’ll always miss you.

Love Uncle Mike

On one of Sarita, Catherine, and Beth's visits east, probably around 2009, Sarita was (as usual) drawing. She drew these pictures in just a few minutes and then threw them in the garbage. I pulled them out and she asked, "why did you do that?". My response was, "Because I like them. They are very good drawings. I couldn't draw that well when I was your age. I think maybe I'll frame them." She just made a face. She seemed to always think that her work could be better than what she had produced.......

Two years later, when Beth & the girls came east again, Sarita's drawings were framed and hanging on the wall of the bedroom that she and Catherine stayed in. When I was sitting with her in the room, I asked if she had seen what was on the wall. She said yes, and again asked why I did that. I reiterated how good I thought they were. She just shrugged, but the little half smile I saw on her face told me she was secretly pleased. 

Mike and I treasure the drawings, emails, and notes Sarita and Catherine have written/given us over the years. We still have things that the girls made for us when they were really little on our refrigerator. I will never part with the jewlery they have each made for me. Sarita, our family get togethers won't be quite the same without you. We love and miss you.

Love, Aunt Judy ❤

 

I always had the pleasure of seeing Sarita every year on Christmas Day as my family always has a get together for those close.  Sarita would come every year dressed so beautiful and participate even when she did not know anyone at the party.  I enjoyed sharing stories of animals with her as she was working at Petco and we shared the same love for small creatures.  Our house will feel empty this year without her beautiful face.  May you rest in peace sweet child and look down upon us all and know how greatly you will be missed.  We will somehow wrap our arms around your mom to comfort her through such a difficult time, you and your sister are her everything!

I am so fortunate to have met Sarita when she was an infant and to be able to watch her grow up into a beautiful, kind, sensitive and talented young woman. Beth and I walked with the babies and dogs every Thursday morning for the first few years until Sarita and Patrick were no longer interested in staying in the strollers.  Sarita was Patrick's first "girlfriend"! At Sarita's first birthday party, I remember her sitting in my lap and licking fingerful after fingerful of whipped cream frosting off my finger until Beth said she thought she'd had enough. Sarita thought otherwise and kept putting my finger in her mouth!

I gave Sarita her first guitar lesson years ago (before the formal ones stared) and it was so fun to watch her enthusiasm and effort to improve.  She was such a creative and talented girl and she so wanted to please the people who took an interest in her.

One of the most touching and memorable moments with Sarita was in 2008 after our beloved Lab, Bailey, passed away.  Beth and the girls stopped by with a condolence card and Sarita had created her own 3-D card for Bailey.  It was an little toy dog and food bowl, floating on a cloud of white fluff (I will attempt to upload a photo of this creation because I still have it).  I burst into tears and hugged Sarita (I think the force of my reaction scared her a bit) and I thanked her for her kind and thoughful gesture.  That was the essence of Sarita to me...kindness.

Sarita, my boys and I had a garage sale at Beth's house about a year ago. Beth left us in the care of Sarita with her capable sales accumen.  We watched her haggle with customers and learned the ropes from an experienced bargain hunter!  We talked about how excited she was to start driving and to graduate early from high school.  She showed us some of her drawings and we were blown away by how amazing her art was!

Sarita, you were a bright light in this world.  I am so so saddend that you had to leave us way too soon.  Your spirit is with us and you will not be forgotten. Please know that you are loved and will be forever missed.

Love & Peace,
Julie 

My favorite memory of Sarita was the summer of 2009. We had rented a beach house, facing the ocean, right on the sand, about 30 yards from the water. One evening we were all on the outside deck. Me, Paul, Jarod, Catherine, & Dana. Clinton was a little one - he must have been sleeping inside. We looked around..... where was Sarita?? Where did she go????  We started calling for her, telling her to "Come on out on the patio. Hurry!!! Come be with us!"   Suddenly you could here her running as fast as she could, through the house, feet pounding on the floor like a rumbling train and then.....   BOOM!! She runs right through the screen door (didn't look like it was there) and down goes the door "crack" and down goes Sarita "thump!" We all had the deer in the headlights look and held our breath....  after all, that HAD to hurt. She looks up at all of us standing over her and she smirked and began to laugh so loudly that we all laughed until we cried!!!!!   It was and remains the best visual of Sarita I have ever had. It encompassed it all - Her rushing, sometimes clumsy, loud, goofy, funny, and she could laugh like no other.  I miss you my love. My heart will never be the same. Thank you for being my daughter. XOXO. Jennie

When Sarita was a little girl, about 4 years old, she would play "waitress".  She would gather a pen and a pad of paper, come up to anyone in her near vicinity and say "What you like"?  She would studiously scribble totally incomprehenisble squiggles as I'd answer, "5 hotdogs, 3 milkshakes, 10 hamburgers and fries!", then she'd busily walk away to get an assortments of plastic foods to fill my "order".