[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 173 (Thursday, October 26, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1437]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        REMEMBERING LILLY CHACE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MARK SANFORD

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 26, 2017

  Mr. SANFORD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in memory of Elizabeth 
``Lilly'' Chace. She was a remarkable young woman from Providence, 
Rhode Island who I had the pleasure of knowing over the whole of her 
life. She died on October 12th of this year at the tender age of 28 and 
was buried today. I pause not only to remember her life, but out of 
love and respect for her parents, Buff and Johnnie Chace.
   I also rise because it's in these moments that we think about life 
and how we might live it more abundantly. How we might make each of our 
lives count. How we might be a blessing to others and make the most of 
our time here on earth. I think that the short life that Lilly lived 
offers insights into each of those areas and, for that reason, believe 
that a moment of reflection is worthwhile.
   She did two things I want to do more of in my life.
   One, she did not idly watch it pass by. She lived it. She seized it. 
I remember years ago, upon the death of Malcolm Forbes, the front page 
read that ``while alive, he lived.'' I think that this would be a 
pretty good description of the way that Lilly seized life and the way 
that I'm inspired to do the same with an example like hers. In fact, 
Eleanor Roosevelt said ``the purpose of life is to live it, to taste 
experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for 
newer and richer experience.''
   Indeed, Lilly walked across the glaciers of Patagonia, rode camels 
through the Moroccan deserts, and ventured into the Alaskan wilderness. 
I had not seen her much since she was a child, but by all accounts, she 
had more than an adventurer's spirit and the merit badges to go with 
it. It has made me think about how I might add in living more richly 
the years I have before me.
   Two, she was all heart. I have on more than a few occasions tied 
myself in knots over-analyzing some situation before me; but again by 
all accounts, this was not her nature. She listened to that voice that 
we all have inside and ran with it. I think the old saying is ``people 
don't care about how much you know, until they know about how much you 
care.'' As humans, we ultimately respond to the heart in each other 
much more than the technicalities of debate talking points. In thinking 
about her death, I have considered more than a few times about how I 
might live with a bit more heart and passion the task that's now before 
me in this chamber. And I think this idea would be worth a bit of focus 
and collective soul-searching, given the enormity of the issues that 
face this body.
   I point these things out not only because I believe they're worth 
our shared examination and thought but because I wish so much I could 
be with the Chace family today in Providence. That's not possible due 
to this vote we're taking on the budget, but I rise to honor Buff and 
Johnnie and to say farewell and Godspeed to their daughter Lilly.

                          ____________________