By DINA ARÉVALO
Port Isabel-South Padre Press
editor@portisabelsouthpadre.com
Elizabeth Silva passed out white prayer candles with the image of Jesus printed on the glass as stragglers walked up to the small knot of people gathered at the Island Baptist Church parking lot last Thursday. The small group that gathered was there to pay respects to Justin Kirby Walker, a teen who died while celebrating Spring Break on South Padre Island.
This wasn’t the first vigil Silva has organized on the Island.
As a steady wind blew, the small flames on the candles kept sputtering out. People held the pillar candles reverently nonetheless, guarding the fading embers with cupped hands. After waiting a few minutes for latecomers, Silva asked everyone to gather in a circle as she began to speak.
She spoke of the transience of life, of how no one knows how long their story will be. She spoke of resisting the urge to lay blame for Justin’s death on his youth, his love of music, or the concert he attended just hours before his disappearance. “This is not about putting blame on anyone,” she said.
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