Heather: a celebration of life

I remember the day I first met you
the summer before fourth grade,
when you and your abundance of brothers
moved into the crappy yellow house
right behind mine.

I spotted you from across the grass and weeds,
your long dark hair sweetly blowing in the wind
and your eyes set like you had a mission.

I think I was a little frightened of you at first.

And then..it happened.
Friendship and happiness and smiles and love happened.
And my life will never be the same.

We did homework on my trampoline
and walked through town in the rain, barefoot.
Rollerbladed every day that summer
and the next...
because that's what the cool kids did back then.
Especially rollerblading into the video store.
Cuz they let you do that, you know?

I ate so many Hershey's Cookies and Cream bars with you,
I can't look at one without thinking
of your radiant face.

We had heart-to-hearts on my bedroom floor
and faces covered in powdered sugar at the carnival.

We got mad at life together
and shared the woes of Jr. High:
Not making it on the cheerleading team,
Having to do stair laps in p.e.,
Getting detention for chewing gum...again.

One exciting winter day
we gave your little brothers straws
and challenged them to see who could
suck up the most snow.
Then we just stood back and watched and laughed.

You had such a crappy situation,
yet you rose above it like a champ
and that makes me smile.
You finished school
cleaned yourself up
got serious about life,
and were learning to be a nurse!

I am SO proud of you.

I always knew you had it in you
to rise above and prove them wrong,
the ones who said you would be nothing.
You can be somebody.
You believed it.
And you were somebody.

Somebody special.

You were a free spirited
headstrong
independent
passionate
beautiful
loved
child of God.

I will look out my bedroom window tonight
and see an abandoned yellow house,
and I'll remember the day we first met,
staring curiously at each other
from adjoining back yards.
And then I'll say a prayer
and hope to God that one glorious day
....we will meet again.

You will become my inspiration,
Heather Ann Poore.

My life is changed forever.

                        Heather Ann: 1993 - 2011
"Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure."
Psalm 39:5