Time passes but the pain don't fade

My niece, my goddaughter, my Ginabug was killed in a car accident on August 13, 2004. She was three weeks shy of her 18th birthday. Her mother, my sister, and I picked out Gina's senior pictures from the proofs after she died. Gina never saw them. I often wonder which pictures she would have picked out. She was so beautiful. Of course, I am biased, but she really was. And she was a force to be dealt with. I know it is a cliche, but she really was a shooting star, burning bright and hot and far too quickly passing out of sight. It is so hard to look forward without her. But my sister does, she keeps going. But I know she will welcome death. So will I. We won't look for it, neither of us; but we won't fear it or run from it.