Heidi would laugh when I would tell her that I thought she was a superstar when she first moved to West Virginia. I was visiting MacArthur Church of God (the big church in town).  My mom pastored a church of about 30 people. I was visiting and Heidi, with red hair like Annie, was singing on the stage as “Dr. was it Doolittle??” I thought she had a beautiful voice and I longed to be on the stage like that one day.  Imagine that!?!! 

I actually met her soon after that on a trip to Winterfest.  I got to go with the big church!  I remember how sweet she was as she rubbed my head all the way from Tennessee to West Virginia because I had a headache.

That was just like Heidi...always thinking of others.

I remember as I stood in line to greet her at Ainsley’s funeral.  She looked at my sister-in-law, Katy and asked her if she was okay because Katy had just had a baby and she knew it would be hard for her.  Heidi was ministering to others as she stood above her own baby’s casket.

That was just like Heidi…always thinking of others.

We had some great memories…playing practical jokes through McDonald’s drive thru and laughing hysterically as I told the hotel clerk that I was a doctor and lost my parasysmalepindictomy….what ever that was.  That was before kids and before the days that we had to be responsible.

And then there were days when we had kids and husbands and had to be responsible.  I remember crying to her because I just couldn’t do the new mom thing perfectly.  She reminded me that the Holy Spirit was in me and to throw the expectations and books away.  Throwing books away?...that was not like Heidi.

She loved to read and write. She had a way with words. She had a candid way of expression, a real way to make words seem like candy. Because she wrote, her words will live on forever.

In the past few years, it was Heidi that helped me break down my walls of hurt.  Friends had broken my heart, but Heidi wouldn’t let that stop her from being my friend. She kept calling…and it worked. 

My walls started coming down and I let her in.

She prayed with me, taught me how to love my husband unconditionally and challenged me with scripture. 

She opened my eyes to causes bigger than my own.

That was just like Heidi…always thinking of others.

She was a wealth of knowledge in a non-intimidating way.  She challenged me to know more and teach more.

She listened.

She gave my daughter clothes and made special memories for our little princesses to share.

That was just like Heidi…always thinking of others.

 Heidi was maternal in nature, strong in spirit, vibrant and full of life. I am a life forever challenged and changed by hers.

I am so glad Heidi took the time to think of me.

 

 

 

 

Why does it always have to be “all about me?”

Why can’t I chose to see…

people like you?

 

Why does it have to take tragedy?

Why can’t I chose to grow

From the seeds you have sown?

 

And why do I stand in awe at a life touched by God?

And know you aren’t perfect,

But genuine you are!

 

There are people in life that one may call friends

And there are others who are truly God sends.

You my friend were such to me.

 

Thanks for calling when I put up my walls

Thanks for caring when no one cared at all

Thanks for praying when times got tough

Thanks for loving, knowing that you did… was enough

 

You will always be a hero to me

And to so many others, a treasure, a gift

And because you were born, others can see

That life is not “all about me”