ADAMS MESSAGE AFTER RACHEL DIED
I still can't fully believe I'm writing this because a small part of my heart clings to hope that it's not true, but my mind knows it to be true. As many of you already know my younger sister, Rachel Brownstein, sadly passed away on Thursday at the age of 17.
No words can describe how much she meant to myself, my family, our co-workers (her and I both work(ed) at Wendy's), and many colleagues she met at school both in and out of the classroom.
Many have reached out to and asked if there's anything they could do, and I am thankful for that, but besides keeping my family in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time, there's only two requests I have.
My first request is, when you can, try to do something to help others and expect nothing from it. Rachel's goal of becoming a nurse was one that she had because she enjoyed helping people.
Whenever myself or someone in the family was feeling sick she'd do anything to make them feel better from making them food to saying feel better to getting them an extra pillow, and everything in between. As my mom once noted on Facebook she bought a homeless man some food when he came into Wendy's one day and that led to a few of the workers buying him a backpack with supplies. Rachel also once got slapped in the face because she stood up for a friend at school who was being picked on.
Those are just a few of many ways Rachel helped people throughout her life, so if people can take one page out of the Rachel Brownstein Guide of Life, let it be to help others when you can and expect nothing in return.
The second and final request I'll make is this; when talking about Rachel please use the word "is" when you can. She may not be with us in life anymore but that doesn't change who the wonderful person she is.
She is beautiful. She is nice. She is supportive. She is the person I would talk to for long periods of time about school or work or random things. She loves food, the Walking Dead, Impractical Jokers, Ted, Pixels, fart jokes, paranormal things, being with family, cheesy songs like "What Does The Fox Say", "Surrender", and "Selfie", and more. She is the one who always wanted to sleep with the dog. She is the one who did Destination Imagination and got awards for it. She is the one who may at times have difficulty understanding her school work but after my dad, mom, older sister, or myself explained it a thousand times it'll click in and she would remember it. She is the one who worked hard in and out of the classroom. She is the one that multiple employees call the hardest worker at Wendy's. She is the one who has goals and dreams. She is my friend who might call dibs on a part of the house when mom and dad weren't home, but the next decide that she wants to play guitar hero or watch tv, or when we were younger play made up games outside in the backyard. She is the one I can talk about for hours on end and she is the one who'll surely be missed.
She is my sister, her sisters sister, her parents youngest daughter, the cousin and niece to her aunts, uncles, and cousins, the granddaughter to her surviving grandparents, the proud owner of the different pets her family has had over the years, a friend to myself and others, a great co-worker, and best of all she is the one and only Rachel Elizabeth "The Say Ray Kid" Brownstein, and nothing will ever change that.
Until we meet again her love and kindness will last forever, and I am forever honored and privileged to call her my younger sister.
Thank you to everyone who reached out to my family during this time, to the ones who have kept us in your thoughts and prayers, to the ones who have helped us, to the ones who have sent their condolences, to the ones who have said kind things about Rachel, to the ones who came to the funeral and wake yesterday, and for everyone who has an impact on our lives. G-d bless you all.
-Adam Brownstein