On July 25th, we lost a friend. Gwendolyn Strong was – and always will be – such a huge inspiration to us. Her family was always there for ours, standing beside us in our despair and celebrating our triumphs.
When our daughter Lucy was born, the Strong family gave us a very special book called “Thisbe’s Promise” with the hopes that Lucy would find a connection to her big brother Andy through it. It was a favorite book of Gwendolyn’s and soon became one of our favorites too. I always thought of Gwendolyn as I read it, especially when Thisbe’s mother says, “You see, Thisbe, you were born with a prayer. Because you were promised the world. And I was born with love in my heart. Because I was promised you.”
Gwendolyn made this world a better place. She kept her promise. And now we keep ours…we will never forget our beautiful butterfly girl, and we will Never Give Up.
For more stories about Gwendolyn and her impact on others, please visit The GSF. And, please join our family on August 2nd as we wear butterflies (Gwendolyn’s favorite) and vibrant colors (pink and purple, especially) to celebrate her life.
To the caterpillar what is the end, becomes the beginning for the butterfly. May she thrive forever with her new friend, Andy.