The Circle of Life

In my last post, I contemplated the "Circle of Life"; in the past day, I have watched it.

Hannah and Jack are very good friends with a brother and sister that live behind us. They spend several days a week together. Jack and Luke have a "band", they play baseball, basketball, football, lacrosse, and racquetball(against Luke's house - with his parents' permission.) Hannah and Lydia play American Girls, dress-up, American Idol, watch High school Musical, etc, etc.

Jack and Luke have been friends since they began Kindergarten together in the same class. We met Luke and his mom at Kindergarten pre-testing. She and I talked for awhile, and I said, "you look soooo familiar", she named her church, her high school, her activities, and then said, "I'm in commercials for my dad's store", I'd "known" her since I was a kid.

At the beginning of October 2005, a few months after we had moved into this house, Jack saw a kid playing in the culdesac behind our house. He yelled, "are you Luke?" the kid said, "Yes, can you come play?" Hannah ran with Jack over to talk to him and said, "Mom, he said we can come meet his mom and his sisters" So I walked through the yards to end up in their backyard, crashing the birthday party of his sister who we had never met. Kimberly insisted that we stay, we did and amazingly it didn't feel weird. That was the start of our family friendship.

Every now and then, I would hear a knock on my back door, to the kitchen the messiest room of the house... and it would be Kimberly, checking in on her kids. She was so motherly to mine!!! She was one of those people who would have the whole neighborhood over to her house, and be happy about it.

She did not know how to play the piano, but read books and taught her daughters and another girl in the neighborhood piano. She had never cheer leaded, but bought an instruction video and taught herself and then coached her daughter's upward cheer squad.

Jack and Luke ended up in 1st grade together. She and I planned their class Christmas party together, and were co-leaders for the class's Carnival booth.

Hannah and Lydia have had several sleep-overs. Jack and Luke have had 2 attempted sleep-overs at our house, and a successful one at theirs.

This summer, we walked together a few times. One thing I know for sure is that she was on fire for the Lord!!!! All conversations came back to Him.

Our vacation fell over school registration. She went and met our kid's teachers and got their packets. She had a long talk with Hannah's teacher and gave me a good report. When she walked down the 2nd grade hall, she found that Jack and Luke were together for a third year! She explained that Jack was coming to school this year and brought us all the information. We talked to her at least 3 times over vacation. To find out about the teachers, and for Hannah and Jack to talk to Luke and Lydia.

On Monday, she came by with a load of our kid's stuff from her house. This is a regular thing. I teased her that her house is one of our closets :). She said, I don't mind, just thought you might be looking for some of this.

Yesterday, she came over. She said, I need a favor. Luke left his homework on the bus. They had 2 pages of 100 math problems. We each hand copied a page. She drew a dog on hers, and I drew a bird on mine. The phone rang, Hannah came in and said "It's for Miss Kimberly". It was her family needing her to settle something. We laughed.

Today, the neighborhood kids knocked on our door. I answered and they matter-of-factly said, "Well, Luke's mom is dead." I argued with them for a minute, and then Marsha called to confirm.

It's just so sad!!!! We KNOW where she is!!! But she was such an amazing person, it's sad for everyone, especially her husband and 3 kids.

Usually in friendships, I feel like I am even or even sometimes on the giving side. I was on the receiving side of ours. She was so close to our kids, too!

We went over there this evening. They were all in shock, but still their loving giving selves.

We came home and read in Revelation about heaven, and prayed. Hannah and Jack finally fell asleep together in Hannah's little twin sized bed.

Here is her obituary. and this.