Grace McDonnell, age 7

picture from People magazine

 

Information obtained from several sources: irishcentral.com, andersoncooper 360, obituary and death notice, mvgazette.com, Huffington post.

 

Gracie was the love and the light of her family. "Utterly adorable", just a beautiful little girl... like a "little doll". Beautiful golden hair with bright blue eyes. Loved to wear bows in her hair, especially bubble gum pink, her favorite color. Loved to play dress up, soccer, gymnastics. Particularly fond of painting and art projects. Frequent visitor to Martha's Vineyard. Loved the beach, seagulls, lighthouses... and Peace. Her mother's last memory of her daughter was blowing her kisses as the school bus pulled away. Later she found where her daughter had drawn with her finger on the glass in the bathroom a Peace Sign with "Gracie loves Mommy". President Obama is now the proud owner of a Grace McDonnell original painting of a green owl.

 

"You are not only my daughter, you are my best friend, my soulmate, my teacher of life, love and peace," McDonnell read from the last entry she had made in her daughter's journal.
Her husband, Christopher McDonnell, added this in closing: "The presence of seashells brings the message that every passing life brings something beautiful to the world."

I will wear a pink ribbon in my hair (very unlike me...) in honor of Gracie on November 1st.
I will also create something out of shells to remember this beautiful child.