Dear John,

I am writing this letter to you to thank you for your donation to the Carmen Slice Memorial Fund. Because of your donation her name will be added to the Honorary Keepers' plaque and on a memorial brick at the Tybee Light Station. These type of letters are the most difficult to write, especially when the loss is so tragic and untimely. There are no adequate words to express the feelings of those who become involved after the tragedy, to console the loved ones left behind.


We have become an extended family, those of us involved in the preservation and appreciation of lighthouses. We share a universal love and appreciation of their past and an awareness, and alarm over their future. We form a bond through that mutual love, a bond that bridges all other differences and all distances. A death, especially such a tragic one such as Carmen's breaks for a moment that bond, as we sense the loss of one of our own. However, in our close-knit family we close our ranks and extend to her loved ones and to each other a hand of understanding, regret, and reflection.


It is obvious, based on how Carmen is described by her loved ones, that she lived her life as a light in the darkness, "always bright cheerful, supportive." Carmen's death, as tragic as it is, causes those of us within the lighthouse community to pause and remember that while we may differ in our past, our paths lead to the same destiny and destination. Her untimely and tragic death sends a signal much like the light from a lighthouse to warn us of how limited our time on earth is and how much we need to acknowledge and appreciate each other more, as we travel life's' uncharted dangers. Her "brightness, her support" much like the beam from a lighthouse continues on beyond her passing. Those who knew and loved Carmen had their lives made brighter. I did not know Carmen, personally, however, having learned so much from those who did, I think of her each time I watch the Tybee Lighthouse at night. If you will do the same whenever you pass a lighthouse, you will keep Carmen's brightness among us. Her brightness will not dim but will merge with those who have gone on before, lighting the way for the rest of us to follow, so that we too, shall find our way -- safely home.


Sincerely,

Cullen Chambers
Director