Our whole family has been devastated by the loss of Morgan…I don’t think I will ever have words strong enough to convey that feeling.  I wanted to share a moment in Morgan’s brother’s life that recently happened.

Morgan’s brother made up his mind to get his first tattoo in order to honor his sister’s memory…He decided the quote Morgan wrote on some ribbon, and held in front of herself in some pictures she took, would be the perfect thing to always remind him, not only of her, but of one of the many strong beliefs they both shared.  Fate – The Illusion that you’ll get the things you want without earning them.  

They both believed in hard work, and dedication in order to achieve their goals.  Ryan said he is planning on going back in to have Morgan’s initials put under this tattoo.  It has been a year and a half since Morgan’s stalking started, and our once normal lives turned into the unthinkable – trying to protect our youngest daughter from a predatory stalker, and then 4 months later, in the midst of her felony stalking case, the shock and disbelief of finding her dead in her bed.

This unthinkable tragedy has been devastating to our entire family, but it has also taught us all to hold each other a little longer, always remember to end each conversation with, “I love you”, like Morgan always did, never take each other for granted, appreciate every second of our lives, believe in love being greater than hate, remember to lean on each other for strength, and remember that Morgan is still always with us – her light still shining bright.

Our family is strong, and will keep pushing forward in order to get justice for Morgan, and to give a voice to others that can not speak for themselves. Stalking is a pervasive and serious threat, and so many victims worry (and in some cases rightly so, as I have heard so many times from other stalking victims) that their complaints won’t be taken seriously.  David Beatty, the former director of public policy for the National Victim Center in Washington, DC said, “in almost every stalking case that turns violent the warning signs were already there.”

Let’s all remember to talk stalking seriously – open your minds, and hearts to victims of stalking, and help whenever you can.  Believe people when they are in distress, and tell you about what is happening to them.  Keep your eyes and ears open for anything strange or out-of-place when it comes to your children, or other people’s children – you might just be the difference in saving some other family from going through the heartbreak that our family has had to experience.  Good people in this world can make the greatest difference in bringing about the change that is desperately needed.  Thank you all for helping our family this past year and a half – when our strength starts to dwindle your support holds us up, and gets us going again…and for that I am forever grateful!