Last Friday, Ellen Keyes, Emily's mother, e-mailed this note to participants at last month's PeaceJam, when 3,000 kids from around the globe gathered in Denver to talk about ways they could change the world:
Hi beautiful people!
Emily and I (and many others in our group) were at PeaceJam. We loved it. Emily loved it. You have sent such a powerful message. The only good thing that can possibly come from her death is to continue the message. We can't let the bad guys win.
Please continue with your strength. We want us and our children to be kind and strong. Practice random acts of kindness in the name of Emily.
The courage and kindness it must have taken to compose such a message two days after her daughter died takes your breath away. It's heartbreaking, thought-stopping. But for Ellen Keyes, there is no stopping. -- Patricia Calhoun