Twenty Years Ago

March 3, 1988
I was 12-years-old. I lived on 5 Point Hwy in Charlotte, MI with my mom, her boyfriend and his kids, Chad and Fawn. My favorite tape was Dirty Dancing. I spent hours listening to that and the Faith album by George Michael. I had just received them for my birthday the week before. I had a boyfriend: Brad Hendrickson. He was in 7th grade. I was in 6th grade. We rode the bus together. My best friends were T.J. and Jenny. We all attended Olivet Middle School. I had grown up with T.J. and it was through her mother, I met Kim.

Kim was the daughter of T.J.'s mom's boyfriend, Howard. They had combined their families and I spent quite a bit of time with them. We went hot air ballooning, roller skating, dancing and watching movies.

But anyone who has been with this blog for long knows who Kim is...or was...or still is. She died at the age of 14 on this day twenty years ago. I made a promise then that I would not forget this day or her for as long as I live. Her life and her death made a huge impression on me.

God wanted me to remember her, too. This morning, He played a song in her memory. Kim loved the song "Lean On Me" and I turned it to the radio station just as it started. How cool.

So, her memory lives on through her family and friends. And although this was a terrible, terrible day so long ago, on this March 3, 2008, God gave my friends a little girl of their own.

He gives and takes away and gives again. Blessed be Your name, Lord.