When I came up with the idea of devoting a webpage as a tribute to my late sister Erin, it was at first, a way for me to honor her memory. It took me by surprise when after writing a little I needed to write more. I think it became some kind of cathartic process of feelings maybe even a running commentary on thoughts and memories. I apologize to all my friends and Erin’s friends and our family for what appears to be a steady flow of stories and maybe even a little bit of therapy…
Erin always encouraged me to write. I would be gone for months at a time and although she would come to visit me every season and destination she looked forward to my letters and I looked forward to hers. We didn’t like to spend long periods away from each other so writing became our bond. Some of our letters would be short notes back and forth and others would be pages both of us expressing feeling “the happenings of our lives”. I cherish these letters now and in some way these letters along with her now distant messages have clearly inspired me to write now.
Excellent web site. Erin and I hung out many years ago, in our teen years and early twenties, but we lost touch when I moved away from Burlington. She spent lots of time at our home and was always welcomed there by my family. This site is a great memorial for an incredible woman. Steve Gooder, Kelowna, BC. January 2014
Yesterday i had a dream and woke up with the thought to google my old friend and see where she is in life!!!I had a massage migrane and had a really rough nite …but when i woke up i thought erin rothwell..i have to find out where she is and somehow reconnect with her!From the time i was about 20 i moved to burlington and worked at a fancy little lingerie shop on Pearl Street!Erin and i became friends and co workers and spent alot of fun times together.I guess we just kind of lost touch and the years have gone by and well you always think about the good old days and erin was apart of many of the good old days.It was shocking for me to see she is gone.She was one of the most caring..giving..loving people i knew.I still have photos of lingerie ads we did for the store and fashion spreads i did for the pumpkin patch.My deepest sympathies go out to you…Donna Lee
It strikes me as strange that I would be thinking of Erin right now, today so close to another anniversary of her death. I’m afraid I haven’t thought of her lately which is hard to believe because it took me so long to get over her. Although this year is 11 years she has been gone, I lost her 35 years ago when she broke off our engagement. I cannot describe my sadness at that time as well as my sadness at her death. You must believe me that even though I have had a good life so far with Nancy and two wonderful children (and now a grand daughter) I always thought it could have should have been different. I guess that’s what makes me sad because I did love her so much then. I can also totally relate to her struggle with depression as I too have suffered for a long time. I am pretty sure my first experience was caused by our break up all those years ago. Anyway I found your tribute to her and the pictures reminded me of how beautiful she was and how lucky I was to have known her and loved her and spent time with you and the whole family. Those were happy times.