Wordless Wednesday-In Memory

Today I want to dedicate my usual Wordless Wednesday post to a very special lady, Regina Ann McCormick.  She was the mother of a very close friend of mine who left our world to be with God on Saturday and will be so greatly missed.  I personally didn't know Mrs. McCormick well, but from the 500+ people who showed up to pay their respects to her, I know she touched the lives of so many students, teachers, friends and family members in a very special way.

The past few days have been sort of bittersweet.  We are all so heartbroken for our dear friend.  Words cannot describe the pain we feel for her, and the hardest part has been watching her in pain and not being able to do more.  I know we all wish that we could take some of that heartbreak and feel it for her.

But even though the past few days have been hard, it is so comforting to me to see how strong our friendships remain even through distance and time.  Most of us had 3+ hour car or plane rides required to get to Charleston, WV, but that didn't matter.  Nothing was more important than us getting to Kaycee's side as soon as possible.  I hate that it was under such bad circumstances, but it felt so good to be able to hug all of my friends for the first time in months.  I'm so glad that so many of my sisters were able to unite to support Kaycee in her time of need.  I am thankful every day that I joined Chi Omega, because without it, I would never have met most of these amazing women.  I am so blessed to have so many sisters who would drop everything for their friends.

Monday night I attended Mrs. McCormick's visitation and Tuesday morning the memorial service at Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral.  Over 500 people were present Monday night, which really shows what a wonderful person Kaycee's mother was.  She was a special education teacher and I know that all of her students, co-workers, and friends all thought very highly of her.  The memorial mass was so beautiful, and it was hard not to get emotional.  They closed the mass with this Irish Blessing which has always been meaningful to me:

"May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand."

I know that it is hard to say goodbye to loved ones, especially when it happens so suddenly, but I hope that Kaycee and her immediate family can find peace knowing that they will be united with Mrs. McCormick again in Heaven someday.  I know she is watching over us all now, and must be so proud of Kaycee.  She has always been such a wonderful friend to me, and I just hope she never forgets how many of her friends are thinking of her and praying for her every minute of every day.

I love you Kaycee!