"So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half asleep, even when they're busy doing things they think are important. This is because they're chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning."
Last Friday, I received a phone call from my mom. It is kind of crazy how immediately you know something is wrong. I missed her call and even before calling her back, I knew something wasn't right. My mom let me know that my best friend from my childhood, Kara, lost her dad....so unexpected and so heart-wrenching.
Kara and I have known each other since kindergarten...Mrs. McClusky's KB class at St. John Neumann. Mrs. Church always tells the story of remembering the first time she met me. I had my desk turned away from the rest of the class because I couldn't stop talking...some things never change. And so our friendship began. Majority of my memories growing up involve Kara. We were in girl scouts together, swam on swim team together, spent every birthday with one another, had slumber parties and went to camp together during the summer. She is the one who told me I should be shaving my legs and introduced me to bras. We went to NSYNC concerts and on spring break together. Mrs. Church always made me chocolate chip muffins and would always have waffle crisp when I spent the night! Their family constantly reminded me that I was never allowed to wear white...because whatever I ate...it would end up on my shirt. The Church family instilled in me a love for the lake! We would swim with the farting fishies and the tooting turtles....we would tube and tube and ask for whirlpool after whirlpool. We would sing Dixie Chicks at the top of our lungs and just soak up the sun! Mr. Church treated me no different then one of his own. He made me give him foot massages if I wanted to go on the boat. He taught me to ski and showed no mercy on that tube. He joked with me and said my zodiac sign should have been a fagasauras since my birthday always feel on the weekend of the Gay-Pride weekend in Atlanta. My memories could go on and on....
And then came high school and for the first time...Kara and I were separated...and from then on we both have been growing in different directions, but she has always been someone I hold dear to my heart.
And now...I am holding her...crying because of the loss of her dad.
Mrs. Church wants this quote to be included in the program....isn't it beautiful! Just another reminder of how precious life is and how God made us to do great things. We are meant to make relationships. We are made to love! We are made to LIVE and not just walk around doing the mundane things of this world. Are you LIVING!?! Are you really living with purpose and does your life have meaning?
1 comment:
Thank you so much for writing this about Uncle Arnie. He was such a wonderful, loving man. I hope you don't mind, but I am going to link this post to my blog. Even though it was under the worst circumstances possible, I enjoyed meeting you last week.
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