I am home. Home after a whirlwind trip to Boise to say goodbye to a beautiful person and give condolences to her dear family. Seattle to Boise one day, Boise to Seattle the next. It was worth every mile to be there.
Believe it or not (likely you'll believe it), I am not very good with words. As clumsy as I am with the written word...usually many times edited...I am much more inept when it comes to the spoken word. I rehearse in my head and even out loud sometimes, but when the time comes to say something important I always manage to mess it up. It either comes out with "ums" and "uhs" or just doesn't even come close to conveying the emotion or feeling that I intend.
Today's post is for my friend's family. For her husband, daughter, son, mother, father and brothers. These are the words I wanted to say.
It had been 20 years since I'd had the privilege of seeing Kim. I wish we'd stayed in better contact as adults, Christmas cards and occasional emails weren't enough. Even so, from our correspondence, I could tell that Kim was the same person that I'd known all of those years ago. It's impossible to encapsulate a person in only a few words, but there are definitely some that come to mind. Kim was one of those pure souls, she lived joyfully. She had an innocence and light about her and was always smiling...even when she wasn't necessarily happy. :) She was a ray of sunshine. One of the things that I remember most about Kim is her laugh. It was contagious and just a little bit goofy. Time spent with Kim was fun and silly. With Kim there was no facade or pretense, I never felt like I had to be cool or anything but myself. Even as girls Kim seemed comfortable embracing her femininity and looked forward to the day when she would be married and have a family. It was her dream while other girls our age thought of growing up to be famous or have some other career. I think God placed her vocational desire in her heart early to prepare her for the next few years when she would begin living it out.
In our catching up Kim told me the story of how she met Donnie, their courtship and marriage. It was obvious to me how in love Kim was, even after 13 years. :) She wrote about her kids, the difficulty that she had in carrying them and how they were her world. Kim loved her vocation as wife and mother, it was very clear that she was right where God wanted her to be.
In making the journey to Boise I wanted to say goodbye to Kim and to honor her memory, to pay my condolences to her family and to show them that Kim's legacy extends farther than this stage of her life. Certainly, the last 14 years, raising her family, has been her most important work, but she left an indelible mark on those of us who knew her even all those years ago.
To Donnie, Aurora and Justis, my heart aches for you. Please know that there are so many people in this world...people who you've never met and likely never will on this earth...that are praying for you right now. It is unimaginable that there is a recovery from such grief, but God is with you all. He is holding you close to His most sacred heart. And you have your own personal saint and intercessor in heaven. Your mom will be mothering you in heaven just as she did on earth.
To Pat and Diane, you raised a wonderful person. She changed this world in her own way in the relationships that she had and the example that she was to anyone who knew her. I think that Jesus allowed her to suffer to prepare her to come straight to Him. As parents it is our whole goal in life to help our spouse and children get to heaven. I think that you have been successful. I believe that Kim is enjoying the unimaginable peace and joy of eternally seeing Jesus face-to-face. I have no doubt that Kim heard to words, "well done, good and faithful servant."
I will miss Kim, knowing that she is no longer here to reach out to. I will look forward to seeing her again someday, God willing. Kim will join our family litany in our daily prayers and will stay there always. Farewell, sweet Kim.
