Hello my Friend, today is hard, today is your birthday. Ten months have passed and I’m still at a loss of words. So to celebrate you nothing felt more fitting then the words of your father:

My Clemence, I wrote you this letter, and I know you won't read it or hear it. It's been 2 weeks now, that I live in my worst nightmare. What could be worse for a parent than losing a child ... nothing. There are no words strong enough to describe the distress, the pain, the sadness that I feel. As a dad, I have always wanted to love and protect you, my children. Over the past two weeks, we have received many messages of affection from those whose lives you have touched and paths you have cross. The phrase that comes up and characterizes you time and time again is "Ray of Sunshine". Everyone remembers the life you brought to each meeting. From baby to child to teenager to the wonderful young woman you have become, you are my smile. And with that smile you always had a sparkle in your eyes and a level of energy in everything you loved to do, even if I sometimes had trouble keeping up with you. But since 2017, you have suffered from multiple sclerosis. For the first time, I found myself helpless, overwhelmed by the effects of this disease on you. Then your first treatments arrived, and I regained hope. There were lows ... and highs ... and I wanted to believe, that you could live and thrive despite this diagnosis. Unfortunately, this disease is invisible, and I have not always seen the pain and grief it caused you. The newfound difficulty in mundane tasks your body used to do without thinking before. The last activities, the last photos exchanged, the last conversations gave me hope that this was going to improve, you always had plans for the immediate future ... so I didn't see it coming .... And I can't help but think that you wanted to leave us with the mercy of a memory of who you wanted to be, a big smile, a sparkle in your eyes, loving, and caring. Our ray of sunshine. I have 27 years of memories, that's good, but of course not enough, I wanted more, but I cherish those 27 years. You had so much to continue to discover, there were so many new memories still to be create, so many moments still to spend together and share, from everyday things of no interest to great family moments ... Now a future has passed away for us, and I don't know what the future will bring but the lack is so enormous, so indescribable that I can only say that it will not be like before. Here is my Clemence, I love you Your dad Thanks again for your presence

I hope that wherever you are Clém that it is as beautiful and luxurious as you always wanted life to be, covered in pink with an abundance of Nutella and cookie dough Ben and Jerrys.

And never has a French phrase fit so well “Au revior, Clémence”