Nancy,
What a beautiful expression of such a beautiful life. You and Julia are on my thoughts and in my prayers often. Be strong. You are a dear precious daughter of the King Most High!
Love you,
Darcie

Dear Nancy & Julia
I was just glancing back at Darcie’s post, realizing that Gemma went to heaven Oct. 25th, which for you, is a long 5 weeks ago. I don’t know where time goes but it seems so short a time ago that we were all writing back and forth to Gemma, knowing her truthful visions of what lay ahead for her, she tackled it with such dignity and grace. Something that I would like to aspire to, but I really think you either have those special qualities from the beginning or you don’t. It is obvious that Gemma always knew her way, even in the darkness. We all do miss her so, and pray that where she is, that song birds are entertaining her and that she is smiling, pain free, carefree and writing a novel or 2.
Just know that we are always welcoming any news you would like to share with us. This is a life long relationship that continues, as long as we are willing to communicate with each other.
Thank you for your lovely poem.
Weezie

The poem was beautiful, thank you.

Hug to all

Sherri

The poem was so beautiful and for sure Gemma is in heaven meeting our creator for she is really an inspiration to us for being such a strong girl. We will always remember her. Hugs and kisses to you all!

Dear Nancy and Julia;

I just wanted you to know I read through all of Gemma’s blogs the other day. I sometimes do that because she was such a terrific writer.
Even though this will be very hard, during the Xmas season, you are loved by all of us here at the blog and don’t be strangers because through you we can still be a part of Gemma. God Bless and may 2009, bring you relief and hopefull some joy.
Weezie

Just thinking of Gemma for days now. Thought maybe her mom or sister might have written. The sky is so blue, even with the bitter cold and snow coming down. I know she is up there! Peace be with you.
Bo

Opened my own account as Gemma’s mom as I hope to keep in touch with this wonderful community.

HI Nancy,

I was thinking about Gemma today. I know its the two year anniversary since she left to party with God. Just wanted you to know that many of us have not forgotten Gemma or you. I hope today is not to hard on you and your daughter. God Bless you guys and God Bless Gemma!
Stay Rasta
Sharon

I send my condolences to Gemma’s family and friends. Even though we had not met her in person, Gemma was a BIG part of our family at this site. She touched and brightened more lives at 20 than many people do their whole lives. She will be missed.

God must have needed another Angel and Gemma was exactly that! She is loved and will be missed until we meet in heaven.

((hugs))
Sonia

Even though I came across this place over a year ago, I only joined on July, and Gemma was one of the reasons I decided to sign up. I loved reading her entries, she was such a wonderful person and she motivated me in ways I was only able to tell her through comments. I hope she read them. She will be missed. I know one of her biggest concerns was the people who love her, how much they would miss her. We’ll all miss her, but I know we all want her to go in peace, and I am sure she did. We love you, Gem!

I am sorry that i never got a chance to communicate with Gemma. I read her postings and my deepest condolences go out to your family. I will pray for her tonight.

Gemma’s courage, wisdom, wit and strength inspired us all…another angel is in heaven.

Peace… Celeni

I am speechless. I cannot believe it. Such a beautiful person, a beautiful soul. So young, yet, so wise. I didn’t have the privledge of knowing her personally, yet, I felt like I did through her eloquent writings.

She fought with optimism and courage. I am tears realizing her fate today. God bless Gemma and her family for eternity.

There is a comment from Gemma’s family on the post “Update on Gemma”. Darcie posted the news before Gemma’s mom decided what she wanted to say.

Rest in Peace, Gemma. You inspired me and all of us here on the blog. You are such a beautiful and courageous girl. You will be missed.
Yuyu

REST IN PEACE darling Gemma. I am not very good with words but you touched my life in a way that just can’t be explained in words.
God has a beautiful new angel.
My deepest sympathy goes out to your family and friends. You will really be missed.
We all loved you.
Joyce In NC

I am so sad for your family’s loss of such a lovely young lady. How special she was, and how eternally amazing the stories of her bravery, strength, and love will be told. She will never be forgotten, even by those of us who became so attached to her without ever standing in the same room with her. She was a talented and brightly shining angel here on earth. Her place in heaven is assured, she gave so much to so many. Her most touching post here, for me, was when she was torn apart with worry over how she was causing pain to those she loved most.

I thank God for sharing her with us, if ever so briefly. She brought so many of us such gentle support, and took our minds off of our own troubles as she so strongly and honestly shared her deepest thoughts and fears. We will carry on in her name and honor her by trying to show some of the strength she showed us. I send much love and support to those who shared her life. We learned from Gemma that you are extraordinary too. We are here if you ever need a multitude of shoulders to lean on.

You are in my prayers.

Rest easy, with no more pain or fear, our dearest little Gemma. Gaile

I am so very sad to hear this news. I have to admit that I thought Gemma would be with us for much longer. I’m sure God, however, could not wait for his angel to come home. Gemma was a gem – a truly unique, one-of-a-kind, beautiful spirit here on earth. We are all lucky to have had the pleasure of knowing her and reading her words of wisdom and wit at such a young age.
Rest in peace Gemma. We all love you and will miss you dearly.
Kelly

No more pain. No more sorrow. No more suffering.

Rest in peace, my friend. I will think of you often and with a warm fondness.

Mac

I am so sorry to get this news. I was praying so hard and hoping so much. I am sending thoughts to the family for their loss. That girl was such a fighter and had such a spirit. Gemma you will be missed so much. Love Kathleen

All of my love and hugs and prayers to Gemma’s family. This is so painful for me, and I never had the pleasure of knowing her outside of this website. Gemma is the greatest person I never met! I know she’s watching us from Heaven. She truly is an angel!

XOXO

We will miss our beautiful child Gamma.

We will always remember her as our sister our child and friend . Hug Sherri

I’m terribly sorry to hear about this and to get in on it so late. It was one of her posts that actually brought me to this site. I’ll definitely miss her writing.

B

I can’t stop crying…I just saw this now. Gemma was a very special person to me, and I’m going to miss her thoughts and words that were way beyond her years.

Many hugs to her family and friends.

I’m heartbroken.

I’m so sorry to hear this news. This cancer is so unfair. I’m devastated. The world is a little darker now.

Rest in peace Gemma.

I have been in shock since hearing of Gemma’s passing. I felt like she was a close personal friend. She had a way of touching you like no one else. Her wisdom was so beyond her years. She will be greatly missed. May you rest in peace Gemma.

On Saturday night, there was a terrible windstorm in my area. All night, there was howling wind and things being blown about. The next day, the sky seemed to open up into a wide expanse of beauty. The air was cleaned out by the windstorm, the sky was perfectly clear and blue, and the sun was, as always, unstoppable. As I walked outside in this sunshine, I felt as if Gemma was everywhere. Freed from the bonds of her body and the storm within it, she was free to shine in every corner of the world. I saw her light reflected off gentle ripples in the water, shining through brightly colored autumn leaves, making patterns on the ground as it passed through trees, and warming the backs of turtles. She touched everything in sight, including me, and I could not help but smile in gratitude to her.

My heart breaks for Gemma’s family and friends. I can’t imagine the pain of this loss. I hope her presence will be felt in new ways now, and that her beautiful light will help to sustain those who love her during this time of grief and onward.

Peace,
Kathy

I cannot stop thinking about dear Gemma. Gemma definitely taught us all something about life, and ourselfes. Look at the impact this sweet girl made on all of us…Gemma was destined for great things here on earth, and I am positive she is destined for even greater things in the after life. Gemma and her family will be in my thoughts and prayers for ever.

Hugs and Prayers to all
Kim

I just keep wanting Gemma to post something. I can’t believe she is gone. I am trying to be positive, but this is just so sad.

I feel so sad for the loss of Gemma. My heart breaks. We’re the same age. I couldn’t imagine being in her shoes, but i can say she handled everything with gratitude and courage! she’s so wise yet, so young. She has taught me so much about life, and look at it in a way I’ve never seen before. Friday night i prayed for you Gemma, and I prayed hard. God needed you. Your really are a true angel. Now at peace beautiful Gem

i am so sad beyond words gemma….your spirit, intellect, and positivity was so transparent online. go find my lovely wife, i know she’s waiting for you. i love and will miss you.

This is Gemma’s cousin Billy. Tonight I was fortunate enough to meet a fellow blogger. You all know her as Angelwithwings. I would like all of those that cared so deeply for Gemma to know that their words of condolences help me deal with this terrible loss. I glad to know others that shared in the gift that was Gemma.

Gemma was our “Precious Gem” because she was unique, bright, sparkley, and had such clarity that no one her age should possess. When her father passed last November we all thought that he made a pact with God. We believed that he gave up his own life to spare Gemma from her agony. Then March rolled around and Gemma received the news that the cancer had returned, more aggressive none the less. I now believe that God put Gemma on this earth and gave her these challenges to inspire. I know i couldn’t have handled what she did. I would have been weak and gave up. I would have laid my head down and waited. Not gemma, she always held her head high, she tried not to show the pain, and she inspired so many people!

Tommorrow when i am speaking at her funeral I would like you all to know that everything that you have written will be told to our family and friends. May you all feel the love of our family for your kind words and those of you still in the struggle please remember Gemma and “Don’t Give Up!”

Miles of Smiles,
Billy
bill-2212@hotmail.com

I was catching up on my blog reading when I read about Gemma. It caught me by surprise since I missed the last post. I sit here crying at my keyboard recalling all her posts.

May her spirit soar and may her wise words leave us all with a desire to live each day more fully than the last.
My condolences to her family and friends.
Donna

She’s hung up her coat, sat down to relax, she’s finally home.

Rest Forever in Peace.

You were very strong now an angel for us all fighting cancer. Give us strength as god has done. Be my gurdian as you are no longer suffering, now dancing and singing with joyful and peace. With love and blessing.

Assefa

Dear Darcie; I am overwhelmed with saddness at the passing of Gemma. I have not been on the blog for about a month, but I opened all my email today to see that there waw no information on Gemma, so I went to her blog in hopes that someone would have posted news, any news of her health. I am in shock but I have to write to you while the passion is still lurking in my bones. I have never met a smarter, more loving, kind, artistic, old soul that could write like a professional author than your Gemma. It seemed like her words floated on the page, begging us all to come into her world and live as a keen witness to her feelings and emotions. She never shyed away from the true ups and downs of cancer, nor did she sugar coat it or deny that it was something she wished had not happened to her. Gemma comes but once in a lifetime, for which we all are blessed to have met her here at the Blog. For whatever reason she found us and we found her, our lives have been changed and moved by the experience of knowing Gemma so well. We are missing the notes, the thoughts, the comic relief she provided to us, but somewhere there is a whisper surrounding us that keeps us moving towards such grace as Gemma had. I know she is without pain and that her world as we can understand it, will be full of love and peace. She is paving the way for the rest of us and what better soldier to have than that. My prayers go to you Zac, Gemma’s family and friends. I pray that time will heal your broken hearts. Please stay around, it is one way to keep in touch.
Weezie

This is Gemma’s mom, Nancy. I want to reach out to each and everyone of you and give you a big hug for being so kind and comforting. You not only helped my little girl along her rough road, but now you continue to help me and Julia and the rest of the family and friends. Thank you for everything you do. May you all stay strong and keep happy memories of Gemma.

I would like to share a poem with you all by A.L.Frink that gives me peace and comfort and maybe it will for you too.

THE ROSE BEYOND THE WALL

Near shady wall a rose once grew,
budded and blossomed in God’s free light.
Watered and fed by morning dew,
Shedding it’s sweetness day and night.

As it grew and blossomed fair and tall,
Slowly rising to loftier height,
It came to a crevice in the wall
Through which there shone a beam of light.

Onward it crept with added strength
with never a thought of fear or pride,
It followed the light through the crevice’s length
and unfolded itself on the other side.

The light, the dew, the broadening view
were found the same as they were before,
and lost itself in beauties new
Breathing its fragrance more and more.

Shall claim of death cause us to grieve
and make our courage faint and fall?
Nay!Let us faith and hope receive-
The rose still grows beyond the wall.

Scattering fragrance far and wide
Just as it did in days of yore,
Just as it did on the other side.
Just as it will forevermore.

In loving Memory of Gemma Marie Glass

It’s a very touching story…hope that God is with you

Hi there. I know she’s in the hands of God now, My prayers is for her family and loved ones,be strong in the Lord.