The Perfect Beach Memorial

Can I just tell you that I love what I do?  Sure, the hours are long and the work is detail-oriented, but I would not trade it for the world.  Why?  Because of letters like this:

Dear Silvia,

By all accounts my daughter, Amelia, was beautiful.  She had a beautiful Hawaiian complexion, a contagious smile that radiated for miles and a heart that was full of joy and love.  Amelia loved the ocean and marine life and wanted, more than anything, to become a marine biologist- and she was well on her way.  As a sophomore at the University of Hawaii she had declared her major and landed a part time job with a local not-for-profit that worked to protect and preserve marine life; she loved it.  And as a mother I derived no greater joy than to watch her work to accomplish her goals. 

But, as Amelia entered her Junior year of college, something changed.  She began having "pesky" back and neck pain that simply refused to go away.  Of course we thought the pain was attributed to sore muscles from her part-time job but, as time drew on, the pain became worse and more debilitating.  Finally, towards the end of her fall semester, she decided she needed to see a doctor; our lives would never be the same after that day.

I will never forget the look on the physician's face when he told us that Amelia had Stage IV lung cancer.  It was a diagnosis that didn't even seem possible; Amelia was only 21 years old and had never smoked a cigarette in her entire life.  I could not believe my ears.  The second thing I will never forget is how she held me as I cried.  "Don't worry, Mom, it'll all be okay.  One way or another," she whispered through the tears. 
But I knew it wouldn't be.

No mother should ever have to watch her child suffer and endure painful procedures as she fights for her life; but I did.  And when Amelia lost her battle to cancer, I knew I had a fight of my own- the fight to regain normalcy during such an "abnormal" time.  And while I know I may not ever feel "normal" again, working with you to create Amelia's memorial was certainly one of the most important parts of the healing process.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for taking my "beach" idea and creating such a beautiful pendant for me to wear in her honor.  My heart flutters when strangers comment on how beautiful it is and my eyes often tear as I say "thank you"; it is a compliment that I cherish more than others will ever know.  From me, for Amelia, thank you. 

~Janis M.
Honolulu, HI

To make this custom memorial we used our popular flip flop pendant design and then fused Amelia's ashes into it.  The result was a stunning and appropriate memorial her mother can cherish forever.