James

And to everyone I send all my love
and wishes for a New Year full of happiness.

James

Star Light, Star Bright

Over the holidays I thought about what I could write that would be worthy of the end of such a long journey, but in that time I realized the journey is not over, it continues. Each of us will go on living with Alessandra's memory inked on our hearts and minds. We will each in our own way try to live our lives as Danda would have wanted us to...fully.

She taught us all so much about strength, determination and compassion; for she embraced them all. That smile of hers with those dimples and bright eyes, her laugh- it makes me smile as I can still hear it in my mind- this is the memory of her we will carry. Danda loved family and given her international nature surrounded herself with people who became part of her extended family. As we supported her we will continue to support James and Julian in the years ahead because that is what families are for and what she would have wanted. May her star shine brightly in the night's sky and continue to offer us light in our lives. May pink peonies remind us of her many layers and graceful beauty. Her spirit will never fade.

Much Love,

Alexis

A Diamond In The Sky

Dear All,

As my daughter is no longer with us to share in blog dialogue and provide us with her words of courage, wisdom and love, it is time to bring the blog to a close, and I want to once again thank all those who gave Alessandra such love and support throughout her ordeal. A very special thank you to her cousin Alexis who created this blog - Alessandra’s voice. I would like to think that everyone has benefitted from it in one way or another.

Should you glance up at starry skies over Christmas, I am sure you will find Alessandra somewhere in the heavens, and you might just hear James singing his favourite song:

“Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.”

Wishing you all a joyous Christmas and a New Year overflowing with love and friendship.

Vicki

We are in the process of putting the blog onto a CD so if anyone would like a copy, please let me (vpriorelli@telefonica.net), Alexis (alexisrobinusvi@yahoo.com) or Chiara (chiarapriorelli@yahoo.co.uk) know.

A little goodbye

Dear All,

As Christmas draws near and we've come full circle from the moment our lives changed two years ago, I just wanted to thank everyone for all the words and thoughts and support you showed Danda and all of us throughout this time. This blog stands, quite literally, as the last chapter in her life, and so, as this chapter closes, I wanted to leave you with just a few of my favourite photos from this and other chapters in our life together:

This one taken on a holiday in Mijas, Spain, when Danda was 13. It is so her - her face never really changed, nor that expression, and there I am, this little kid who just loves her to death, always looking up to her.


I took this in the playground at Holland Park, and I remember thinking how beautiful Danda looked that day; and watching her holding James so tenderly, it was the first time I really truly saw her as, not just my sister, but a mother.


This was taken this summer in the Caribbean. Defy anyone to say she looks sick in this photo. The truth may be that here she was riddled with cancer, but this photo merely captures my Danda, 13 again.


And this, perhaps my favourite photo of all time. It hangs on my wall. Taken by my uncle Geoffrey in Santa Barbara, California. Happy happy days. I want to run in a field with her again, run with abandon, run so fast that maybe today's reality won't catch up. But maybe one day, somewhere, there will be a field like this and we can run together again.

I miss you Danda.

Chiara