A Letter from Ben...

There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about Ellie. I go along about my daily business at work and in life in general as if nothing has changed as it is important to keep life on track, but deep down I know life will never be the same again without her. Since I moved back to Adelaide in January 2002, I had only seen Ellie no more than half a dozen times in those 9 years. Although I noticed just what a caring loving person she had become; whenever I visited Perth, Ellie found time to be with me, whether it involved a day trip to Rottnest Island or a trip on the train to have some drinks at Northbridge. When I asked Ellie if she would like to come on the ski trip to Mt Hotham, I thought my chances she would be able to come would be slim, as I gave her just a couple of weeks notice; I was so glad at the time that she said yes - it fitted in with her work and other committments as well as a overseas trip she had planned at the time. I was so impressed by that, I felt bad for giving her such short notice. I think I got to see her then for the truly wonderful person she had become; Ellie found time for everybody she cared about. If I had discovered this earlier about her I would have found more of my time for Ellie in all those years where I had not made the effort to keep in contact. I thought I had a lifetime of opportunities to see her and develop a strong brother/sister relationship in our later years of our lives. Having not seen Ellie many times over the last few years, has helped me to continue normally with life in the initial aftermath of what happened; but people should not get the wrong impression, I loved her very much and I have cried privately for the missed opportunities of times we would have had together in the future.


Love from your older brother 
Ben