On 18 May 2010, Emily Jordan died at the age of 31. Beloved daughter of James and Mary Ann Jordan, loving sister of Sara Jordan and Neill Jordan, dear sister-in-law of Jeffrey Altman, also survived by many aunts, uncles, cousins and dear friends. Student at the Columbia University School of Social Work.
Emily was my little sister. We shared so many things over the years: clothes, books, music, aspirations, trips, and for many years, even a bedroom. There's so much more I would have wanted to share with Emily in the years to come. We all know that she was smart and beautiful and well loved by many. At times a diva, ever a fashionista, I always counted on Emily to get me up to speed with the latest trends. When my husband Jeff and I were assembling photos for the slide show, he commented that it seemed wrong to include so many pictures of Emily in a bridesmaid dress. I reminded him who had chosen the dresses in the first place. True to form, Emily was able to make every occasion her own, and it was wonderful to have such a collection of happy memories to share. In public, she was always the center of a circle of friends and loved ones. We also remember her with her nose in a book, or surrounded by her beloved beagles.
I remember her as someone with a fast answer to just about anything, an easy wit I always envied. From about the time she learned to talk; she was always loving and generous, sharing her favorite books on every subject and every context. At times she would even hand you a pile of books that she knew you would like. She was an endless source of knowledge, well-read on just about any subject you might bring up. If you needed reading material on any subject, all you had to do was talk to Emily and if she didn't have the answer, she would research it and give you what you needed. Not a know it all, sometimes a smart-ass, beware of entering into an argument with Emily.
Emily always wanted to help others. She always wanted to be an advocate for her friends, for strangers, for those who were less capable of helping themselves. This motivated her personal life as well as her career choice.
I think few, if any of us, can understand the pain she endured for so many years. Even though, she always put on a brave face in public, her suffering so often put her completely out of our reach. There have been times recently that the only one who could get through to her, the only one who could get her out of her room, was our puppy, Leo. Although I hate to think that she died to avoid letting all of us down, I imagine that comes painfully close to expressing at least part of her motivations. I wish she could see how far from the truth that could possibly be. Let us remember Emily by sharing our pain and suffering as well as our joy and accomplishment, by being there for each other in times of need. Let us remember each other in life as well as death that we are never quite as alone as we sometimes think we are.