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October 10, 2005

A Day Forever Etched In My Mind

Sarah Kathleen Clee

October 10, 1973 - November 9, 1995

If you already read the post below, you know the sentimental value October 10th holds in my heart. In my story, I causally mentioned two friends that I made my first two years at NWA. One of those girls was Sarah. We had just celebrated Sarah's 17th birthday the day that Jeanne died.

Sarah was unlike anyone else I had ever known before. We both suffered from the "only child syndrome" and our families got to know each other thru school activities and we had a lot of classes together in school. Without the friendship I had found through Sarah (and Heather) I really do not know how I would have made it through Jeanne's death. She was also there for me to help me thru another death in 1994.

During her freshman year of college, Sarah was playing volleyball at church and while running after the ball, she ran into the pole. Her eye started hemorrhaging and her doctor put her on a weird diet and had her stay in the house for 6 weeks. She returned to school, only for the hemorrhaging to come back a few months later, only in both eyes. She went back on the same diet, only this time the 6 weeks turned into months.

Before I left to return to Baylor in August 1995, I went by to visit her. She had lost nearly all of her vision, from her peripheral vision inward. I found out that she had been a diabetic since she was in 2nd grade, a condition that she had kept secret from everyone all the way thru high school, and that was managed mostly by diet.

In November 1995, I was at my apartment in Waco, when our friend from high school, Brandon called me from A&M. He had a weird sound in his voice and told me that I needed to sit down. His roommate, also a former classmate, was reading the sports section of the Houston Chronicle and he had been sitting across the room. It turns out that the Obituaries were on the back page of the Sports section and Brandon just happened to see Sarah's picture.

After getting over the initial shock that I had lost another friend, I went to the store and bought a copy of the paper, and then I got out my address book and started calling everyone in my class. I kept trying to call Heather, but after about 5 hours of getting her parent's answering machine (I knew she was going home that weekend), I had to go to work and I ended up leaving the sad news on the machine. I still regret to this day telling her something like that in such an impersonal way.

It turns out that Sarah had slipped into a diabetic coma on October 31, 1995 and never recovered. She went to be with her Lord nine days later. Today would have been her 32nd birthday. I have been told by many people that I am overly sentimental and I shouldn't remember this kind of stuff, but when people impact your life as much as Sarah and Jeanne did, you don't forget them. And you want to make sure other people don't either.

Happy Birthday Sarah.
**********************************************************************************
Go Rest High On That Mountain by Vince Gill

I know your life
On earth was troubled
And only you could know the pain
You weren't afraid to face the devil
You were no stranger to the rain

Go rest high on that mountain
Son, you work on earth is done
Go to heaven a shoutin'
Love for the Father and Son

Oh, how we cried the day you left us
We gathered round your grave to grieve
I wish I could see the angels faces
When they hear your sweet voice sing
Go rest high on that mountain

Son, you work on earth is done
Go to heaven a shoutin'

Posted by FutureFoodTVStar at October 10, 2005 11:11 PM

Comments

Posted by: Kami at October 11, 2005 08:38 AM

Posted by: SoozieQ at October 12, 2005 04:38 PM

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