Sara's greatest legacy is in the amount of lives she managed to touch in her short 13 years and she continues to touch everyday. Everone that knew Sara, even if it was for just a short time, was touched by her beauty inside and out, her kindness toward everyone, her sweetness, her ability to make anyone smile by just looking at her. Even if you met Sara once, you would never forget her. Her legacy will continue on in the lives of all her family and friends who love her so much. That love is eternal and will never end.

On March 15th, 2004, Sara's 14th birthday, Eagles Landing Middle School planned a beautiful memorial to honor Sara’s life. A tree was planted at the school in her honor and a beautiful plaque was placed outside the schools P.E. building. The P.E. building was Sara’s favorite place to be when she was in school.  Three words that sum up Sara’s life were engraved on the plaque: “Live, Love, Laugh”. 

The auditorium was full and children from different schools that knew Sara also attended. There was not a dry eye in the place.  After many beautiful words were spoken by her good friends and some of her favorite teachers, the song “Sara Smile” was played as everyone left the auditorium and circled around her tree. The principle spoke some special words, there was a moment of silence and then butterflies were released.  Words cannot express the feeling I had just knowing how much Sara was loved.  It was a testimony to how she lived her life. That will always be her legacy and she will continue to live on in all those lives that she has touched in such a profound way. If Sara were there with us on that day I know she would be very pleased to know that her life meant so much to so many.  She couldn’t have asked for a better birthday present.

Here are some words spoken by Mr. Torres, Sara's 7th grade teacher:

“My name is Mr. Torres and I was Sara’s seventh grade language arts teacher. I’m a firm believer in the idea that there is something to learn from every single person we meet. From some people, we learn to be tough; from others, we learn patience. Some people teach us to love, and some people teach us to be strong. I’d like to share what Sara has taught me, both in life and death, in the short time that I knew her.
Sara’s life has taught me that there’s no time to waste being sad or angry. For the entire year and a half that I knew Sara, I never saw her upset, mad or depressed. It was as if her soul knew her time on Earth was limited, and chose to spend that time spreading joy.

Many of us spend so much of our time engaged in negativity, whether we’re fighting with parents, teachers or each other. I never saw Sara involved with any of that. Her life was about happiness, and it was contagious. Just to be around her and see her smile could brighten any mood. It was inspiring.

Sara’s death was a strong reminder of the frailty of human life. Our bodies are so fragile. Our time so precious. Every single moment counts, we should spend it wisely. We should pick each other up, we should help each other. Eagles Landing is a family, and when we lost a member of that family, we all stuck together and helped each other grieve in our own way. We can’t ever forget that sense of togetherness and family that Sara showed us when she passed away. We should try to live every day as Sara did, helping one another, caring for one another and smiling, most importantly-smiling.

One day, when my time comes to leave life behind, I hope that people can speak about me the way we all can speak about Sara. I hope people can reflect on the positivity I left behind. I hope that my life will have effected others in the way that Sara’s has effected me. Today is a day to remember a member of our family. A person who has taught us so much with a minimal amount of time. Today, and everyday that you think of Sara, remember what it was like to be around her, to see her smile, and spread that feeling to someone else. Sara was an angel then and is an angel now. Let’s not let her work go unfinished.”

 *Since I was so emotional that morning,  my brother Glen, who came down from Maine to be with us, read these words for me:

“We want to thank all of you for honoring Sara in such a special way on her birthday. It is so nice to know that Sara will continue to be a part of the school that she loved so much. The plaque will be a reminder to all of us that life is a gift and to Live it with Love and Laughter. Laugh at your mistakes but always learn from them. Love your friends and family with all your heart because they are the most important part of your life. If Sara could speak to us today, I am convinced that she would be encouraging all of us to keep her love of life alive and her smile in our hearts. I truly believe that Sara is now even more beautiful, more caring and more full of life than ever before.

The tree represents Sara’s everlasting spirit and with each day it grows, it will stand as a symbol for the strength and beauty we all found in her.”

The butterflies symbolize hope and transformation. In the words of Jim Haley:

“A butterfly lights besides us like a sunbeam. And for a brief moment its glory and beauty belongs to the world. But then it flies once again, and through we wish it could have stayed, we feel so lucky to have seen it.”

"As you release these butterflies in honor of me, know that I’m with you and always will be. Hold a hand, say a prayer, close your eyes and see me there. Although you may feel a bit torn apart, please know that I’ll be forever in your heart. Now fly away butterfly as high as you can go, I’m right there with you more than you know."

                                    "SUMMER VACATION"
                                        by: Margo Moore
                
Dear Sara,

We all miss you so much. We know you are in a better place and we will be with you again for Eternity but we miss seeing you and talking to you. We miss your laugh, your carefree, happy –go- lucky attitude, your many smiles and your way of making everyone feel special. We miss your love of life and seeing you live every moment to the fullest. We miss how you could have fun anywhere doing just about anything from playing elaborate games you & Jamie invented to playing a simple game with Jessica, Jamie and my  young nephews. We miss your imagination and how you made every moment fun & special. We miss your love of life and seeing you live every moment to the fullest. We miss your can-do positive attitude. We miss all your expressions and all your smiles and seeing your eyes light up. We miss your loving and caring ways from always sharing whatever you had to including everyone and giving everyone a chance no matter who they were – you took everyone under your wing and lived to make others happy. You lived life to the fullest & everyone loved being around you.

I pray for you everyday. I pray that you have a lot of friends & that you are with my Grandma Rose & Grandpa Joe. I pray that Heaven is unbelievably brilliant & beautiful with flowers more beautiful then we can imagine & that there are beautiful beaches, oceans, woods & mountains that will take our breath away compared to here. I pray that Heaven is all that we want it to be and more and that you are so happy. I pray that living eternity in Heaven makes our time apart seem like “a summer vacation” away from home – knowing we will be reunited for eternity at the end of the summer. I pray that you hear me whisper “’good night Sara, I love you!” every night before I go to sleep. I pray that you visit your family in their dreams & that they wake up feeling your hugs. I pray they can feel your presence & love in their hearts everyday. I pray that your friends and everyone who ever met you always remember how fragile life is and we all live our life to the fullest for you but that we always remember how fast our lives can change & how fragile we all are. I pray that we all make you proud; you set an amazing example that we should all try to live up to. I pray that we  always carry you in our hearts and mind. I pray that we go on with your love of life and everyone in it.  I pray that we make a difference in life and always remember what truly matters. I pray that you know how much we love you and how special you are. I pray that you truly know that we will never forget you & the impact you left on our lives. I pray that everyone in your family truly knows how much we care and how much we love them. I pray that at the end of our lives and at the end of “your summer vacation” we all rejoice in Heaven together forever.

Love you Always & Forever,xoxoxoxox
Margo, Walter, Jessica & Jamie Moore

We will always love you Sara.......