The beauty of blogging and facebook is the fact that one can keep in touch with hundreds of people from elementary school, middle school, highschool and college, for years and years, when before, this wasn't the case. When I returned home from my mission I checked my facebook page and found that several people had discovered me in the internet world, and wanted to be my "friend." One of these individuals was Heidi Johnson. Heidi and I go back several years. Her mother, before Heidi was born, was my dad's highschool German teacher. As my dad's life came to an end, he found this teacher and contacted her in order to thank her for making a difference in his life while he was young. Through this contact we discoverd that she had a daughter my age, Heidi. From that point on, Heidi and her mother were in our lives. Pam Johnson, Heidi's mother, lent her helping hand to my parents when they were in need of a sitter or relief from the kids for just an hour or two during the trying times of my dad's cancer. They attended my dad's funeral, and Pam continued to help. Heidi and I became fast friends. We spent time together, swam together, went to the park together, had sleepovers and birthday parties together. We had a great childhood bond. As is often of childhood friends, we drifted apart in later highschool years, but never forgot the bond we created as children. When I came home from my mission, I noticed she had found me and I wrote to her, excited about renewing our friendship. Two days ago, I recieved a message from another highschool friend, notifying me that she had seen my message to Heidi back in August, and thought she should let me know that Heidi had died in a car accident earlier this year. I was completely shocked, and it's consumed my thoughts for the past two days. Now, I don't want to be misleading about this. I'm not grieving terribly over her loss as people often do over close close friends. But, it has sadddened me and hit me in such a strange and powerful way. The morning of her death was just and ordinary day for her, for her mother, for her boyfriend, for her one-year-old son she left behind. In a matter of minutes, however, ordinary was gone, along with Heidi and her boyfriend...a head on colission that killed her boyfriend instantly, and Hiedi minutes later. The other two victums lived. I never realized more than I do now, how quickly things can happen. I will continue to say "I love you" to those that I love, continue to serve whenever I can, spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ as long as I live and never leave an argument un-mended. I feel for Heidi's mother. She needs the gospel in her life and I plan on helping her find it.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Quick Goodbye
The beauty of blogging and facebook is the fact that one can keep in touch with hundreds of people from elementary school, middle school, highschool and college, for years and years, when before, this wasn't the case. When I returned home from my mission I checked my facebook page and found that several people had discovered me in the internet world, and wanted to be my "friend." One of these individuals was Heidi Johnson. Heidi and I go back several years. Her mother, before Heidi was born, was my dad's highschool German teacher. As my dad's life came to an end, he found this teacher and contacted her in order to thank her for making a difference in his life while he was young. Through this contact we discoverd that she had a daughter my age, Heidi. From that point on, Heidi and her mother were in our lives. Pam Johnson, Heidi's mother, lent her helping hand to my parents when they were in need of a sitter or relief from the kids for just an hour or two during the trying times of my dad's cancer. They attended my dad's funeral, and Pam continued to help. Heidi and I became fast friends. We spent time together, swam together, went to the park together, had sleepovers and birthday parties together. We had a great childhood bond. As is often of childhood friends, we drifted apart in later highschool years, but never forgot the bond we created as children. When I came home from my mission, I noticed she had found me and I wrote to her, excited about renewing our friendship. Two days ago, I recieved a message from another highschool friend, notifying me that she had seen my message to Heidi back in August, and thought she should let me know that Heidi had died in a car accident earlier this year. I was completely shocked, and it's consumed my thoughts for the past two days. Now, I don't want to be misleading about this. I'm not grieving terribly over her loss as people often do over close close friends. But, it has sadddened me and hit me in such a strange and powerful way. The morning of her death was just and ordinary day for her, for her mother, for her boyfriend, for her one-year-old son she left behind. In a matter of minutes, however, ordinary was gone, along with Heidi and her boyfriend...a head on colission that killed her boyfriend instantly, and Hiedi minutes later. The other two victums lived. I never realized more than I do now, how quickly things can happen. I will continue to say "I love you" to those that I love, continue to serve whenever I can, spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ as long as I live and never leave an argument un-mended. I feel for Heidi's mother. She needs the gospel in her life and I plan on helping her find it.
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