A family friend recently told me that he often wishes he had a small bottle full of Sarah, so that he could open it whenever he needed a little sunshine to fill the day or the room. He was quite right--Sarah is sunlight personified, and not just because she lives her life in themes of yellow.
One of the first things that someone notices about Sarah is her smile. It is ever-present and always genuine. In high school she worked at a local pizzeria where she learned to cook some of the foods our family still loves. A few weeks after starting, Sarah confided to us that she was worried about the job: the managers kept assigning her to the coveted spot at the cash register. Even though she enjoyed talking to the customers, she knew that other girls working there had seniority and wanted to work that station; Sarah herself wanted to spend more time in the kitchen learning the recipes, and she didn't want to upset her coworkers by always taking the best job. Despite Sarah's misgivings, the managers knew immediately that Sarah's smiling face was the one they wanted their customers to see, and they let her fill the store with sunshine.
Having grown up in a home filled with Sarah's sunlight, I sometimes forget how special it is. We went to the same university, during which we lived near each other and spent a lot of time together. Even when we were both serving missions on opposite sides of the world I had a weekly dose of sunshine in Sarah's wonderful letters to me. They were always the highlight of my week. Her smile has always been there, and seeing Sarah in the aftermath of a serious car accident has reminded me that her smile is superhuman.
Two weeks ago Sarah and some friends were in a car crash in California. Sarah was seriously injured and underwent a five-hour surgery to try to repair the damage done to her back. In and out of extreme pain, constantly nauseated, and unsure of whether she would emerge paralyzed or otherwise disabled, Sarah's cheerfulness was unharmed. The family and friends who cared for her in the hospital said that all of the nurses loved to come check her room because Sarah always smiled at them and thanked them for everything they did.
It has been a blessing for us to be able to talk to Sarah via video chat while she is in California. Beginning a few days after the surgery we got to see Sarah and talk to her for a short time each day. For the first few days the painkillers and other medicines kept her pretty out of it, and it was clear that she was not very aware of her surroundings or what she was doing. Nevertheless, she was smiling and happy and shining with cheerfulness.
Sunlight isn't just something that Sarah is good at, nor is it simply a characteristic she has practiced. Sunshine is fundamental to her character, to who she is. I am grateful to have this light in my life, and I pray that she may go on shining for a very, very long time.
