Post by Remove on Jun 6, 2011 14:07:43 GMT -5
Hey guys So, I'm writing this for the New Era and my blog. It's so jambled up. I know its really poorly worded. It is very tough for me to express and explain these experiences. Let me know how I should improve it, whats confusing ect.
On Sunday May 23, 2011 I came out of Sacrement meeting feeling spiritually uplifted. I just came back from Kirtland for youth confrence and I was so excited to tell my leaders about the amazing experince. One of the young women in my ward, Kate, was sitting on the couch and I went to join her. Shortly after another young women, Kristen, came up to us.
“Something really awful happened last night.” Kristen said.
“What?” I asked confused by her tone.
“Mikey died in a fire.” Kristen responded.
“Are you joking? That’s not funny to joke about.” Kate said
“I’m not joking. It’s all over the news” Kristen responded.
My dear friend Kate burst into tears and I started hugging her. Mikey was a close friend to all of us. I tried my best to keep the tears back and support my friend Kate struggling infront of me. She had her cousin pass away suddently earlier that month and was really struggling. Soon the adults started trickling into the foyer and the me and Kate sat there crying while the other young women gathered around us giving support. Kate’s mom came up and led Kate outside to comfort her and I sat there worried, scared and concerned for my friends who were very close friends with Mikey but weren’t members.My thoughts were foucased on them. “How can I help them? How can I support them? How are they coping?” The pain overwhelmed me and I broke down in tears. My young womens leader led us to the bishops office and we cried. I’ve never cried so much in front of other people before. Tissue after crumpled tissue went from my hands to the garbage that was moved next to me. My thoughts were still foucased on my friends who I knew were most likely meeting togather at my friend Cassies house. Cassies house is where we met for everything and I knew it would be where we would meet if something ever happened. I sat there and begged my mother to drive me to Cassies.
“I can’t stay here. I need to see Cassie and everyone. She needs me.”
“Liz, just wait.” My mom said, “You and the other young women are going to get a blessing and you need to be here”
My thoughts strayed. My mom was right. God loves me and he wanted me to be at church. It was no accident that I found out about my friends death in church. I was able to receive a priesthood blessing along with the other young women. In my blessing I was comforted and in another young womens blessing it was reavled that my friend died in his sleep and felt no pain. After the blessings the Young men came in and hugged us, we all gathered togather and prayed. One of the young men, Jonathon, bore his testiomoney about the plan of salvation and how we know that Mikey is going to be okay. My tears slowed as Jon talked about how it wasn’t a goodbye but a “see ya later”. I went in the hall and my home teacher was there ready to help me. I received many hugs as I made my way to the car and went home to change my clothes.
“Wait here. I’m going to run in and change.” I told my mom. I ran into my house and ripped off my clothes and I fell apart again. I got on my knees and I prayed. I needed my Heavenly Father. I needed to be strong. I was angry and sad that my close friend had died but at the same time I knew that God loved me and he loved my friends. I needed to be there for them and support them. I quickly changed and my mom had gathered a box of food and easter candy. She drove me to my friends house and I thanked her and told her I’d call her later. She told me she loved me and I walked to my friends door and entered. All my friends we’re in my friend Cassies living room crying togather. People kept arriving and we all sat togather unsure of what to say or do. By then my tears had stopped and I was handing out tissues and giving hugs. That day my friends and I all dyed a streak of our hair red in Mikeys memory. He had a red streak in his hair for spirit week and it ended up being a pain for him because it wouldn’t dye out. That monday going back to school was very difficult. My friends and I met by Mikeys locker and posted pictures and letters we wrote to him. Some of us skipped classes and spent them in the auditorium. Mikey used to sit at my table everyday in Lunch and sitting there without him was too dificult. In the auditorium students gathered on stage, the lights were off and we sat there togather. Some prayed, some thought while others cried. Mutual that tuesday was going to the temple. I was able to do baptisms for the dead and have the Temple President give the youth in my ward a very personal and unique spiritual thought on the plan of salvation. That week I went to the auditorium for lunch and when I entered I saw one of the young women in my ward playing the piano. She was playing a song Mikey loved. Mikey was a talented muscisian who had a scholarship for private lessons at Eastmen School of music. Seeing one of the young women in my ward staying strong really helped me. Mikeys memorial service was the thursday after and I got up and shared my favorite memories about him.
Losing a close friend in high school is hard. I would go home at night and cry. It is very hard to convey my feelings and explain the events that followed my friends death. However I believe it is also important for other youth to hear these stories. God loves you. God loves those who we have lost and because of Jesus Christ and the atonment we can see those friends again. The experinces that followed my friends death have helped strengthen my testiomoney. I know God lives. I know he loves us. And, He will help us through anything. Pray to him. It is okay to depend on those around you. For the first few weeks I based my life souly around church events. “Mutual. I can make it to mutual. Seminary. I can make it to seminary.” I would think about the next time I would see members and when I was around them I foucased on strengthening myself as much as I possibly could. Knowing that I had a support system with the same values as me that I could talk to every morning during seminary was a big help. Stay strong and press forward, you are loved.
On Sunday May 23, 2011 I came out of Sacrement meeting feeling spiritually uplifted. I just came back from Kirtland for youth confrence and I was so excited to tell my leaders about the amazing experince. One of the young women in my ward, Kate, was sitting on the couch and I went to join her. Shortly after another young women, Kristen, came up to us.
“Something really awful happened last night.” Kristen said.
“What?” I asked confused by her tone.
“Mikey died in a fire.” Kristen responded.
“Are you joking? That’s not funny to joke about.” Kate said
“I’m not joking. It’s all over the news” Kristen responded.
My dear friend Kate burst into tears and I started hugging her. Mikey was a close friend to all of us. I tried my best to keep the tears back and support my friend Kate struggling infront of me. She had her cousin pass away suddently earlier that month and was really struggling. Soon the adults started trickling into the foyer and the me and Kate sat there crying while the other young women gathered around us giving support. Kate’s mom came up and led Kate outside to comfort her and I sat there worried, scared and concerned for my friends who were very close friends with Mikey but weren’t members.My thoughts were foucased on them. “How can I help them? How can I support them? How are they coping?” The pain overwhelmed me and I broke down in tears. My young womens leader led us to the bishops office and we cried. I’ve never cried so much in front of other people before. Tissue after crumpled tissue went from my hands to the garbage that was moved next to me. My thoughts were still foucased on my friends who I knew were most likely meeting togather at my friend Cassies house. Cassies house is where we met for everything and I knew it would be where we would meet if something ever happened. I sat there and begged my mother to drive me to Cassies.
“I can’t stay here. I need to see Cassie and everyone. She needs me.”
“Liz, just wait.” My mom said, “You and the other young women are going to get a blessing and you need to be here”
My thoughts strayed. My mom was right. God loves me and he wanted me to be at church. It was no accident that I found out about my friends death in church. I was able to receive a priesthood blessing along with the other young women. In my blessing I was comforted and in another young womens blessing it was reavled that my friend died in his sleep and felt no pain. After the blessings the Young men came in and hugged us, we all gathered togather and prayed. One of the young men, Jonathon, bore his testiomoney about the plan of salvation and how we know that Mikey is going to be okay. My tears slowed as Jon talked about how it wasn’t a goodbye but a “see ya later”. I went in the hall and my home teacher was there ready to help me. I received many hugs as I made my way to the car and went home to change my clothes.
“Wait here. I’m going to run in and change.” I told my mom. I ran into my house and ripped off my clothes and I fell apart again. I got on my knees and I prayed. I needed my Heavenly Father. I needed to be strong. I was angry and sad that my close friend had died but at the same time I knew that God loved me and he loved my friends. I needed to be there for them and support them. I quickly changed and my mom had gathered a box of food and easter candy. She drove me to my friends house and I thanked her and told her I’d call her later. She told me she loved me and I walked to my friends door and entered. All my friends we’re in my friend Cassies living room crying togather. People kept arriving and we all sat togather unsure of what to say or do. By then my tears had stopped and I was handing out tissues and giving hugs. That day my friends and I all dyed a streak of our hair red in Mikeys memory. He had a red streak in his hair for spirit week and it ended up being a pain for him because it wouldn’t dye out. That monday going back to school was very difficult. My friends and I met by Mikeys locker and posted pictures and letters we wrote to him. Some of us skipped classes and spent them in the auditorium. Mikey used to sit at my table everyday in Lunch and sitting there without him was too dificult. In the auditorium students gathered on stage, the lights were off and we sat there togather. Some prayed, some thought while others cried. Mutual that tuesday was going to the temple. I was able to do baptisms for the dead and have the Temple President give the youth in my ward a very personal and unique spiritual thought on the plan of salvation. That week I went to the auditorium for lunch and when I entered I saw one of the young women in my ward playing the piano. She was playing a song Mikey loved. Mikey was a talented muscisian who had a scholarship for private lessons at Eastmen School of music. Seeing one of the young women in my ward staying strong really helped me. Mikeys memorial service was the thursday after and I got up and shared my favorite memories about him.
Losing a close friend in high school is hard. I would go home at night and cry. It is very hard to convey my feelings and explain the events that followed my friends death. However I believe it is also important for other youth to hear these stories. God loves you. God loves those who we have lost and because of Jesus Christ and the atonment we can see those friends again. The experinces that followed my friends death have helped strengthen my testiomoney. I know God lives. I know he loves us. And, He will help us through anything. Pray to him. It is okay to depend on those around you. For the first few weeks I based my life souly around church events. “Mutual. I can make it to mutual. Seminary. I can make it to seminary.” I would think about the next time I would see members and when I was around them I foucased on strengthening myself as much as I possibly could. Knowing that I had a support system with the same values as me that I could talk to every morning during seminary was a big help. Stay strong and press forward, you are loved.