In Memory of Gaje Jeffrey Florence

My name is Rosa Florence and I stand here today in remembrance of all the murder victims. I am the step-mother of Gaje Jeffrey Florence. Gaje became a murder victim on May 19th of this year. Gaje is one of many who will be remembered on this day.

I am part of a group that no one wants to be a part of. I am part of a group known as the homicide survivors. Homicide survivors are those who have loss a loved one by the hands of someone else. I am one of many who have had to suffer through this.

What hurts the most is not knowing what could have been and not wanting to walk through this journey in our lives. Having questions that linger. Questions that we cannot seem to find the answers too.

You wake up everyday wanting to reach out to your loved one but you are unable too. The loss goodbyes of not being able to tell your loved one how your feel about them.

I stood at the foot of my son's grave thinking about the memories that we had together and I realized that today is a day that he will be remembered. Today is a day that all of our loved ones will be remembered by others.

I am glad there is a day like today. Our loved ones should not be forgotten and their memories should always be remembered.


Septemeber 25th 2007

Written by Rosa (Hayes)Florence

This day is on the 25th of September. It is the fist national day of rembrance that we have had and I am getting nervous about it. I was one of the few people chosen to do a speech at the remembrance in front of the court house. What ever God that you believe in, pray for me so that I do not mess up on it.

I want people to know what Gaje means to me and how this has affected my life and the ones around me. I am still nervous about the speech but I am not willing to back out of it.

Please take a moment on this day and remember all of the loved ones that have past away do to the hands of someone else

The court date has been postponed until December 3rd of 2007. I am ready to get this over with and I am sure that a lot of my family are too. It seems like a never ending battle.

Dear Gaje,

I miss you sweetie. I remember the time that we had all danced in the living room together. You were so funny and you tried dancing like your dad, well you danced better than he did. I laughed everytime that i would kiss you on the forehead and you would giggle. I miss that giggle and your smile. I miss everything about you.

You were getting so big and I wish that I could see you grow. I wish that I knew how you were and if you were alright. I miss you.

We are going to let off balloons today at your gravesite. I am sending you a letter and I hope that you will get it and maybe let me know in some way that you are okay. I am also going to go to a victims memorial on the 25th of this month. I am hoping that it will let more people know who you are and what you mean to me. I guess that I will see you around and hopefully you will keep coming in my dreams. I could go on for hours about the way that you made me feel but I don't think that my hands to stand to cramp up from writing.

I love you and I miss you. It doesn't feel the same without you. I feel empty inside and I need you to feel it up.

I can say that I know that you had a wonderful life when you were here with me. The life was filled with joy and love. You would always chear me up when I was down and you were my little angel from above. I can still feel your presense when I walk into your room.

I took your pajamas and rapped it up in a bag so that I could always smell you even though you are not here with me.

I have to go know but I just wanted to let you know that I love you and I miss you. I will be seeing you again someday, I just don't know when.

See you later Alligater, after while crocodile

Today is my baby boy's birthday and a constant reminder that my life is almost meaningless. I woke up this morning after fighting myself to go to sleep. I was dreading this day and then this day came. I try to remember the happier times that we had together and the things that we would do but it doesn't seem right. All I can think about is him not being here with us.

We are going to send letters to Heaven through the use of baloons. I don't know if Gaje will receive them but I do know that I miss him so much. Life was easier with him around and me is my precious baby boy.

I will never forget the feeling that he gave me when I would get one of his famous bear hugs or when he would giggle when I would kiss him on his forehead.

We use to dance in the living room and it always made him laugh. He had always done this dance that looked like a water sprinkler and I will never have this back.

Today is his birthday and what should have been a celebration of life, this has turned into mourning the loss of Gaje. Who could be happy at a time like this?

I can't stop crying. We were suppose to buy him gifts that he wanted and eat ice cream and cake and have balloons and be happy, this is not the way that today has turned out.

You pray at night that God will keep him safe but at the same time, You are a little selfish because he is not here with you. God gave me an Angel and then he took him away. Life is not the fairest of things of this cut me pretty deep. Deeper than anything could have ever done. You ask the question of why and you get no answer. It isn't right, none of this is right.

Am I suppose to go on living like our son is in a better place? How could he be? He was happy with us, he was strong and kind hearted. He was an Angel and I don't understand why he was taken from us. I may never understand. People tell you that God needed him more, how can they say this when I needed him.