My name is Rjeanne Joubert and I am Robert s sister.

This is so hard for me to do. I cannot believe that I am here sharing my feelin
gs with people I do not know. I have only read in newspapers about people doing
this, but I think it is important that you hear my voice.
I cannot begin to describe how much my life has changed since my brother has pas
sed away. It is easier for me to speak of Robert as having passed away because
it is a less painful way of saying he is dead, but deep down in my heart I know
the reality is that Robert was killed by a drunk driver.
My family has not been whole since Robert died. There is now always going to be
a piece that is missing. This past Christmas we celebrated Rveillon at our home
in Richer. My uncles, aunts and cousins where there and together we shared thi
s special time of year. It was warm and cozy with the fire burning in the stove
, and the house was full of people, yet at times it felt so empty and so cold.
At times we were all sad.
I have great difficulty saying this but since Robert died, I have been depressed
. My whole family has changed it is like the house has been shaken and then fel
l apart. It has not been over three years since Robert has been taken away from
me and my family. They say that you get stronger over time but it is so hard a
nd it hurts.
Robert could not come to my grade 12 graduation because of someone s terrible choi
ce and decision. My graduation was nothing like I had hoped it would be. My bi
g brother could not celebrate with me this important day in my life. I will nev
er forget how broken I felt. I knew how excited he was to see his little sister
graduate. He was so happy for me. I was looking forward to my graduation dinn
er and dance. I knew that Robert would have had that big smile on his face, and
he would have danced with his little sister in her graduation gown. But he was
not there. He was killed just a few weeks before I graduated, and while the wh
ole family tried very hard to make this a happy event for me, it was very hard t
o do. There was an empty chair at our table and we were constantly reminded tha
t Robert was gone.
I will never forget the day that the RCMP came knocking on our door on the morni
ng that Robert died. It seemed like a complete dream. It was like I was staring
into a room from the outside and that I was not really there. I dropped to my
knees when the police said that Robert had been in a horrible crash and that he
was not coming back. I never felt my heart sink like I did that day. I felt ve
ry sick with pain, and the confusion. Why, how could this be happening to my fa
mily? I still have nightmares about that morning.
I desperately wish I could change things. My life is just not the same anymore.
I simply cannot understand how people continue to do these things. Robert was
such a bright, caring and loving person. I miss his presence every day. I lov
e him very much.