Jennifer Louise Ryals

Sweet, sweet Jennifer ... why do the good always die young?  That's a question we will never have an answer for, at least not in this life.  Mike's niece, and I claimed her as my niece too, died October 6th, at the age of 34, after battling cancer.  Two weeks ago we travelled to the US to say our goodbyes.  It was the hardest thing I have ever had to do.  What do you say to someone that knows they are dying?  Jennifer had been given until December to live, but was gone just ten days after we arrived in Georgia.  My thoughts are that she was able to see everyone that she loved and was ready to move on to the afterlife to escape the pain she was in.  I think that was the hardest part really, seeing her in pain and not being able to help.  Thank God we were able to spend time with her.  We took her to her favorite Mexican restaurant, drove her around St. Simons Island, talked about death, laughed, cried, talked about a trip we took with her and her Mom to San Francisco a few years back, and took her to a BBQ restaurant she wanted to try.  

We stopped by the house to see her on Friday, October 3rd, before our planned return trip to Atlanta. I asked her if she was in pain and she said "No, I'm not in pain ... the pain is gone."  We then shared a few cheese and crackers together and said goodbye. She said, "See you later."  Yes 'Niffer', that was my nickname for her, we will see you later.