Gone Home
Most of you know by now, but Ashli passed away last night. It's been a whirlwind of activity and we just want to say thank you to the countless individuals who have faithfully prayed for Ashli, lifted her spirits with visits, cards and phone calls, emails and all the fun things you've done to cheer her up.
The arrangements are as follows:
Viewing: This Saturday @ St Mark from 10-2 pm
Service: 2 pm also @ St Mark
A massive thanks to all of you who have been helping out so much the last day or two. You have been a huge help by bringing by food, taking over duties we simply can't tackle right now, and just "being there" to remind us of the good times, make us smile and laugh and pray with us. We know Ashli loved all of you dearly and we love you too.
So Ashli has gone home. We'll miss her, we'll grieve her. Let's be honest. . .there will be a LOT less adventure and humor in the world now that she's gone! ; )
And to Ashli: Thank you for the wittiness, sarcasm & humor you brought to all of our lives. Your courage and bravery were an inspiration to us all. We miss you. We love you.
--Alysia
posted by Ashli Hepler @ 2:13 PM
38 Comments:
Alysia - Anne put it best with the comment she made to me after Ashli died - "I'm so happy for her!" How true! Heaven will never be the same with Ashli there! :) You have thanked so many people. However, I want to thank YOU! You for keeping all of us who loved Ashli so much informed of her condition and mostly, to Anne and Joel - they are saints in my book. Yes, you expect sisters to take care of each other, but a brother-in-law - a 24 year old brother-in-law . . . Joel went above and beyond the call of duty of any brother-in-law (or any other "in-law" for that matter) that I've heard of. Talk about storing up treasures in heaven! We love you all. Love, Jayne
We are still praying for all of you. You guys are a great family and I am so glad that I got to know all of you. We are going to miss her so much but she is in Heaven-HOW AWESOME!!! I really enjoyed my visit with her last Wed. She was still the same Ashli I've known since 5th grade. We love you guys and my prayers are with you all. LOVE Shawn G.
Alysia,
You are all in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. Please let me know if you need anything (meals, etc). I will be more than happy to help. Our church also offered to bring food if needed. Just let me know.
I also have to agree with Jayne, you guys are just amazing. You, Anne, and Joel have gone above and beyond....what a blessing you are. Thank you so much for keeping us all updated when Ashli wasn't able to. She will be dearly missed, but I'm so thankful she is no longer suffering.
Sincerely,
Danna
Alysia,
You are such an amazing sister. You and Anne make me wish that I had siblings to love on and laugh with and all the fun stuff that siblings do! :) I love your family so dearly. Now I think a key point to remember is that Ashli would want us to carry on with her wit, humor, sarcasm and all the other qualities we love about her so much. I'll have to work on some of those qualities, but let's carry on the tradition.
Love to you.
Cary
Alysia-I went to college with Ashli and now live out of state. I have been reading your blogs for quite some time now and have been getting updates from Danna. I as well as my church have been praying for Ashli throughout this difficult time and will continue to pray for your family and friends that are grieving. I want to let you know what a blessing this blog has been to me. It is so wonderful to see the love that everyone has for Ashli and the care they provided. It is such a testament of God's love and what He is all about. It has also been a blessing to see Ashli's personality shine just as bright as it did 10 years ago. I wish I had half the courage and strength that she had. Praise God that He had a plan for her life and that she is with Him now and Praise God for such wonderful family and friends.
Love, Danielle
I never thought I'd be in Ashli's home, leaving a comment using her laptop, without her here - yet here I am.
I'm so grateful for the years of friendship with Ashli. I love the relationship that has developed with you, Alysia and Anne over the past year.
you've both said it before, "we love who Ashli loves" - that has made such a difference.
I will miss Ashli everyday for the rest of my life and promise to laugh each time I think of her (even if it is followed by a few tears.)
I love you guys.
crock
You never knew me Ashli but I've followed your blog for the last 1 1 1/2 years after our mutual friend Danielle said I should check it out. Thank you for inspiriting me from across the world (I live in India with my hubby and 4 mo. old babe). I look forward to meeting you in heaven, you and my hubby's mom who also died of cancer when he was 22.
Thank you all for allowing us to share in this journey with you. While it is sad to see Ashli leave us here, what a great feeling it is to know she is now free of pain rejoicing with the Lord...and no doubt sharing her humor with everyone there. God bless you all and comfort you with the wonderful memories of your dear Ashli.
Alysia - I have also been blessed to be able to read the blog w/Ashli's condiion since her first experience with cancer being a part of her life. I cannot say how much Ashli has influence the people around her and also people that don't even know her! My daughter Wendy, (knew Ashli since they were little)(An RN at South Bend Memorial Emergency Center)said yesterday; "What a great testimony Ashli's been by E-mailing her feelings, along with her humor. It could help so many people by just writing a book of her life with being a cancer patient." I am so sorry that I didn't get to see her this past week before she went home to our Lord. Thanks guys for all that have been there for her in our family!! Randy, Perri, Alysia, Anne & Joel! Love, Pat Young (Hepler)
To the Hepler family-
I am so sorry for your loss and I am sorry I won't be able to make it today for the viewing and service because of work. Know that you are all in my thoughts and prayers. I know I haven't seen you guys in so long, but I have been keeping up with things thru family and the blog. I am amazed by Ashli's strength and courage. Being close to the same age I wonder if I could be as strong as her in the same situation. She fought a hard uphill battle, but now is at peace. So grieve, but be thankful she is no longer suffering. People could learn from Ashli's experience ( the good, bad and all the challenges) and I hope you consider sharing her story with others. She was such a talented writer and had a way of touching people with her words, humor and sarcasm. Alysia and Anne, you have got to be the 2 most wonderful, giving sisters anybody could ask for!! You put your lives on hold for your sister and that is just amazing. I'm sure she was so greatful for all the love! I am just deeply moved by the whole situation from beginning to end. Love to you all!
Wendy McLaughlin (cousin)
Your family is so very special. Ashli's life was a testimony to the amazing family you all are. The way you all have stuck together through probably the most difficult period of time in your lives is amazing. Thank you for the example you all have set for everyone involved. I will miss Ashli tremendously. Even though our time has been limited the past several years, she has been there for me through so much in the past. Ashli, I will love and miss you forever. Heplers, you all are amazing. I look forward to the day we will all be reunited again.
Jeremy
To all of those dear friends and family of Ashli that I have had the chance to be around this week: what a privilege it has been to share in this sorrow with you. I miss Ashli desperately, as do all of you, and somehow being with you helped to ease the pain. There is something about collective sorrow that makes it more intense, but also more bearable. God really did desire us to be in relationship, didn't he? So, as Karl suggested today in the service, I embrace each of you. Thank you for the memories, laughter, and tears. Thank you for the authenticity. Thank you for the closeness...I only wish Ashli would have been here with us. She valued that as much as any of us, after all. She would have loved it, wouldn't have she? I love you, Ashli. The gap you have left in my life feels like a chasm that cannot be bridged.
Today was so much more difficult than I expected. I wasn't ready to say goodbye, and I don't think it has completely hit me yet. I just wanted to say that I was so blessed by all of the wonderful things that were said today about Ashli's life. She left an incredible mark on everyone that will never be forgotten. It was so special that Karl lead the service, I'm sure that's exactly what she would have wanted. It's also such a blessing to have this blog so we can re-read Ashli's words. When I read it, it's almost like I can hear her saying them. It's been wonderful meeting family and friends, I just wish our meeting didn't have to come on these terms.
With much love,
Danna
I have been praying for your family during this difficult time. I have been reading Ashli's blog for a really long time and was shocked when I read that she had passed away. I don't know a lot about Hospice, but when I saw that she went home with their help I suspected that her cancer was terminal. Although I know cancer is life threatening I had been feeling as though there was hope in Ashli's case. To her family, please know that myself and my own family have been lifting you in prayer daily. Your family is very inspirational to myself and I am sure to many others that had been reading your blog. I do not have a blog name, but my name is Candace and I am writing from North Dakota- take care.
I just can't believe that a week ago, we were all together.
As sad and as difficult as this is, I'm so grateful for the quality people that Ashli surrounded herself with.
There's a sense of comfort knowing that so many others who loved Ashli so much and are missing her too.
I always believed that I would be afraid to never let myself let go of pain and suffering...Ms. Hepler taught me to love and to never give up and that no matter who you lose in life...you have to be strong enough and brave enough to let the past go and to believe and love in yourself. That there's more to life and that it's going to get worse before it gets better, but that's all up to you. You are a coward if you can't let go of your pride and just keep pushing your friends, family and dreams away just because you're afraid of getting hurt. I remember when Ms. Hepler, Mrs. Homo and I left school and went to eat at Pizze Hut. It helped me so much to kno that they cared and would actually go that far to make me understand I can't give up or be sad just because of a few things in life that didn't turn out well or at all. Ms. Hepler forced me to try dessert pizza and she was right it was awesome. And I remember the first day the class heard she had cancer. I cried. I was mad and so frustrated...but she was so strong, so positive...no matter how bad it was killing her inside she made jokes and laughed. She lived the rest of her life with laughing and making jokes and the whole time she may not of knew it but she was still teaching. I miss her...so much.
"This is the task of friends -
to help keep the memory of the loved one alive."
Granger E. Westberg in "Good Grief"
I was glad to see a posting on here. For some reason, I still check Ashli's blog every day and then feel disappointed when nothing is here.
I am still having a hard time accepting that she is gone, as it seemed to happen so fast. One day I read in the blog that she was home and set up with Hospice which of course was indicative that her illness was terminal. I really didn't want to believe and am kicking myself for thinking that I had a lot of time to get in touch with her, which I didn't do.
I have so many questions, such as- did she know that her illness was terminal? I am guessing that she did because afterall, she was working on her Masters Degree in Social Work.
I will forever live with the regret that I failed to make contact with her before her passing.
To Ashli's family- you are some of the most brave people I have ever met. Your faith is absolutely incredible and an inspiration to everyone. I must admit that I could not have been as strong as you during the viewing and funeral. My thoughts and prayers are with all of you daily.
I, too, continue to check Ashli's blog and still find it so difficult to believe that she is actually gone. I drive by the street her house is on every day and still look down the road when I pass it. I ask my daughter how she is doing with all this - she seems okay but still can't understand why God took Ashli when "she helped SO MANY people." I will watch her (Jill) even closer when school starts. I will say extra prayers for all the students, faculty, staff, etc. during that time when they will notice her absence the most. Thanks for continuing the comments. Jayne
Oddly enough, even I, her sister still check Ashli's blog daily. (I guess I should know if anything is going to be posted, it would have to be by one of us unless it was a comment!) There is a chance at some point we will try to add the video from Ashli's funeral to the blog. But I haven't really had a chance to talk that over with my parents/sister yet & don't have my own copy of the cd yet anyway.
Thank you to those who are still commenting. It's always nice to hear things about her, even though she's gone. I miss her every day.
Love,
Alysia
My Mom told me about a shirt she saw recently that had this quote on it....
"Life's too short, buy the shoes"
Now, who do you think we thought of with that quote?
Well, I guess I'm not the only one that still checks the blog. It's nice to read all of the wonderful things that people have said about her. It seems like I have memories that pop into my head everyday of her. I'm thankful for those because they're great reminders of how much fun we had together (like the time we researched buying a capuchin monkey, settled on a cat, and attempted to have us live with us at Bethel :) Kathy Gribbon made us get rid of him :)
I love and miss her terribly.
Love,
Danna
I, too, recently had a conversation with someone about shoes and who else's name came up, but Ashli's. It's funny - I didn't see or talk to her every day, but I always knew she was there - our relationship had changed, but yet it was the same ... does this make sense. I miss her, too. Jayne
Danna- I was just telling my neighbor about the cat, "Chandler Bing!" - didn't Ashli come up with that name? How funny! I love memories like that!
One of the funniest memories of Ashli - when she shaved that little "widow's peak" on her forehead - then had to let it grow it out. She hated when we called her "sonic" - as in sonic the hedgehog!!!
I miss her too :(
A friend of mine sent me book that suggested getting a journal to write down memories whenever you have them. I thought that was a great idea.
Love, Kelly
"With every friend I love who has been taken into the brown bosom of the earth a part of me has been buried there; but their contribution to my being of happiness, strength and understanding remains to sustain me in an altered world."
- Helen Keller
Well...Ashli, are you having fun in Heaven or what???!!??? I bet you are just having the time of your life!! God is good, isn't He?
I watched "Titanic" tonight and thought of you.
I believe you said,
"that's an asinine movie. Anyone can meet and hook-up in a few days. Tell me about the old couple clinging to each other at the end, while the ship is sinking. I'd rather hear that love story."
I thank God for those random moments when the strangest thing will trigger a memory of you.
i miss you
Today I miss leaning down to hug you, your arms open, and then the strength you put into hugging me back. I wish you never left.
I miss you too. There is not a day that goes by that I don't think of you. I still check your blog - even though I really don't know what I am looking for. Life is different without you in it. Love you....
Ashli- Gosh I am missing you so much. I used to love reading your blog..your witty comments, and the way you took charge of your treatment. I guess it's clear that God is the one in charge, and he wanted you pretty badly. Who can argue with Him? Regardless, my heart misses you so much...
I really never thought things would end up this way.. I thought you would be there for a really long time, but God had other plans. I don't think I will ever understand :(
Glad to see I'm not the only one who keeps coming back...
There isn't a day that goes by when I don't think of some funny "Ashli Episode".
I miss you... but your witty sense of humor gets me through some of the bleakest days!
Welll today, I found myself YET AGAIN thinking "I need to call Ashli to tell her about...." Somedays you just forget that she's in Heaven. I miss you, Ash.
New Blog coming soon. . .stupid thing thinks this blog is a 'spam' blog so it locked the account and I can't post it yet. I'm in the process of unlocking. Keep your eyes open for a new post.
I hope you all are doing well.
--Alysia
oh, Ashli, there is so much I want to talk to you about. Heaven is so lucky to have you, but I miss you so much.
Ashli Christine - I miss you so much.
6.20.08
hard to believe it's been a whole year.
you are missed almost as much as you are loved.
I feel horrible. I went to school with Ashli. She was a very Energetic and Lively person. I remembered reading that she was sick, but I had not heard anything, after, and thought, and hoped that she had made a full recovery. I am so sorry for your loss, and pray that you guys are doing ok. I had not talked to her since graduation, but from reading some of these posts, she is definitely missed. As we all know, she will always be with you guys.
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