Caught By Surprise

OK, not all of you know about my friend Savannah, who passed away this summer, but for those who do, you can understand this experience. For those who don't know the whole story, here's a brief synopsis, and I mean VERY brief. For the whole story, ask me and I can share or if her mom doesn't mind, point you to their blog.

Savannah was the daughter of some dear friends of mine. I babysat their kids when I lived in Maine. Savannah fought a very long and valient battle with cancer and passed away in August. That's the briefest version I can come up with and not make myself bawl. The rest of this post will be hard enough to write without crying and crying will be awkward, considering I'm at work and, well, it would just be awkward. So, here goes...

On Tuesday night I took my client to McDonald's for a snack and to play in the playplace. I was sitting at a table watching her explore, when a lady behind came in with a tray full of kids meals and called her grandkids over to eat. There were three names that she called. I don't remember the scond and third names because the first that she called stopped me cold. The little girl's name was Savannah.

My heart clenched, and my eyes immediatley filled with tears. I was immediately pulled into my own memories of playing with and taking care of the Pink Princess and her 2 younger siblings. I thought of all that she struggled through and how inspiring her life was and about how I didn't get a chance to see her when I visited in July because my trip plans got changed and shortened and how guilty I felt because I never got to say goodbye to her. I was overwhelmed with emotion and I probably weirded out everyone around me...oops...

I found myself sitting silently with tears streaming down my face remembering all the happy and sad things about my times with Savannah and her family. She has been such an inspiration and a beacon of strength in my life and I'm not sure that I've ever really made it clear to her or her family how much she really meant to me.

I hope that this makes things a little clearer. I love Savannah and her family like they're my own family and I feel that, even though she's gone, that she watches over us from Heaven and she is still a big inspiration in my life and in my writing. My writing has changed since getting to know her. It's become more...I guess you could say more about light and life, and less about the darker aspects of things that I have written a lot about in the past. I can honestly say that she is currently my muse, the spirit behind much of my current creative activity and I feel blessed to have been a part of her life, even if it was a small part. I know that she was, and ever will be part of mine.

This is the poem that I wrote the night that I heard of her passing. I sent it to her family, but I am now posting it for all of my blogging friends to experience, and hopefully to enjoy. Please let me know what you think.

Free

Beautiful princess, precious and sweet
Waiting at her Maker's feet
Gently, He gathers her into His arms
Vowing to shelter her from further harm
Sadly she leaves the ones she loves
Promising to watch over them from up above
She leaves her prison of sickness and pain
To live forever on an exalted plain
Glorious in her Heavenly glow
All will miss her, that we know
But happy, also, we must be
Her beautiful spirit has been set free.