This is a photo from June 5, 2009 that ran in Grand Rapids newspaper about Kentwood's Hamilton Elementary school closing. The lady in the white shirt is the principal, but back in 19XX she was my fifth grade teacher.
We meet thousands if not millions of people throughout our lifetime, but very few leave a profound impression. Cindy Charles did that for me.
My mom and I had relocated from SE Michigan to Grand Rapids, MI and I started the fifth grade at Hamilton. It was a nightmare from day 1. I was an opinionated, smart, kinda dorky, SUBURBAN girl plopped down in a majority black school. ***CULTURE SHOCK***
As usual, the boys liked me and the girls hated me. I had one female friend...Cashmere (yes, that was really her name...I wonder what happened to her. FB search taking place now). I was teased for not talking black enough, for getting good grades, and for having above average size boobs at age 10.
I was completely miserable, but Mrs. Charles was my saving grace. I'll never forget the talks she had with me and the confidence she ensued in me. She cared. She taught me. She taught me life lessons and school lessons. I will forever be grateful to her for her kind words and compassionate heart. She was the only reason I was sad to leave GR the next year.
I don't know why, but I started thinking about her this week. I found the photo at the top when I Googled her name to see what she was up to these days. (The last contact I had with her was when I graduated high school).
I think I'll send her a card...just to say Thank You!
I don't know what's going on with my heart, but my head is mos def thinking about those that have gotten me to where I am today (not literally, we don't want to think about those who got me to this cubicle - temping at a marketing firm).
Up next...a couple of Topics
Andy and Amy Topic (and Jack)
Andy (I only called him Topic) was my high school journalism teacher and Amy, well Amy was the assistant principal's secretary and assistant track coach, but probably better described as one of my best friends.
Given Topic's title, it's obvious where our connection was...writing/newspaper. He was a nerd who wore the most ol' school glasses and tried to be a stern teacher (It just wasn't happenin'). So when I found out he was crushing on the new secretary...I was all over the gossip. He was always tight lipped, but Amy spilled everything. And I mean EVERYTHING.
I spent most days sitting in the corner behind her desk, crying, laughing, ditching class, and dreaming about my future after Andover High School.
The two got married, bought a fixer-upper in Royal Oak and soon after she was knocked up. If I wasn't bugging Topic about which J-school to apply for, I was def bugging Amy about my infatuation with Ryan (HS bf). They were my homies. Homies that I thought would be around for my college graduation, my wedding and when I had lil ones.
To my surprise, I was awakened one morning while in my dorm at Mizzou to my bff Rasha crying hysterically. Topic was dead. At 30 years old, he died in his sleep from a heart attack after a night of playing his fave sport...baseball.
I was distraught and a 10 hour drive away from home. But it didn't matter. I packed up my Jetta the next morning and drove back to the OC. I needed to see Amy.
It was one of hardest losses I've ever experienced.
Fast forward 10 months. Rasha and I are babysitting baby Jack (3 years old now) while Amy prepares the house for her bday party. We tuck him in and tell her we'll talk later.
The next morning Rasha calls me hysterical. Amy was dead. The night before her party she ate Thai food and because of her peanut allegery her throat closed.
Rasha and I were the last ones to see her alive.
I still can't believe both of them are gone and that lil Jack and Amy's other 2 children would grow up without them. They were fun-loving, amazing people.
People that I will never forget.
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