An Open Letter to My Beautiful Sister, Madelein

For you, Liefie

My Dearest Smiley Face,

I still remember that call, the day life splintered like glass,

The weight of loss pressing down, knowing you were gone in a flash.

Twenty short years... you lived with so much light, so much love,

Now, I look for traces of you in the sky, in the stars above.

"Liefie," I still whisper, hoping you’ll hear,

Through all the laughter, the sorrow, the tears.

Time hasn’t healed, it’s only softened the ache,

I’ve learned that loss is a wound that doesn’t quite break.

In quiet moments, your voice still echoes in my mind,

Your smile, your warmth, never far behind.

I carry you in my heart, a precious, sacred part,

You’ve left fingerprints forever on the fabric of my heart.

And then, there are the butterflies, so vibrant and free,

Fluttering past, as if sent straight from you to me.

Every time one appears, graceful and near,

I feel you with me, reminding me you’re still here.

Sometimes, I daydream of who you would’ve been today,

What dreams you’d be chasing, what words you’d say.

Would you still have that laughter, that light in your eyes?

Would you be proud, strong, and beautifully wise?

In my sorrow, God has been my only comfort, my shelter in the storm.

As Psalm 34:18 says,

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; He rescues those whose spirits are crushed.

In His presence, I’ve found peace, knowing that He holds you, and He holds me too.

Time doesn’t fill the empty space where you should be,

But it helps me bear it with a little more ease.

I tell myself you’re near, a whisper, a breeze,

Guiding me, Liefie, with gentle, unseen peace.

I hope you know that you are loved beyond measure,

That your memory here is a bittersweet treasure.

I miss you deeply, every single day,

But I know you’re only a butterfly away.

Forever,

Your Big Sister

In loving Memory of Madelein “Liefie” van Burick

13/05/1982 – 18/12/2002

Forever in my heart