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Tuesday, July 22, 2008

MAGGIE


The longest standing job I have had my entire life is the 7 years that I spent at an upscale private school here in our area. I was the food service manager there and worked with a small close knit group of women. Being surrounded by many snobbish rich kids, it was a joy when you could find that small group of special kids who did not just look at you like a 'lunch lady'. One such girl was Maggie. Maggie was so special and treated all of us like her friends. Sometimes she would hide in the kitchen if there was someone she was avoiding ( students were not really allowed in there but Maggie got special treatment). We would put her special salad dressing or her spray butter in our fridge for her. Many times she would just come by and talk to us about her struggles as a teen and would always ask about our kids too. On the day of her graduation we were catering all the food. She was all dressed up and ready to put on her cap and gown. She came over to us 'lunch ladies' and kept asking us if she should wear her hair up or down. She would pull it up and we would say "Yes, it looks good like that." She kept asking if we were sure :) It was so sweet that she valued our opinion even for a bunch of older women. The day after Maggie graduated she was killed in a car wreck just a few minutes from her home. It was such a sad and tragic day. We went to the home and all the services. One young girl gave a speech and mentioned in her speech how Maggie touched so many lives and made everyone her friend- even the lunch ladies. We all just cried.

Maggie's mother has been making sure ever since, to keep Maggie's spirit alive. She donated Maggie's organs and even brought sight to someone by donating her corneas. She has had a book of Maggie's poetry published and a CD of songs that Maggie wrote lyrics for. She has opened a scholarship fund at the school. She has done many other things in her honor too. I am not aware of each and every one. I proudly have Maggie's bumper sticker on my car that simply says- reMEMber. MEM is her initials.

Today I was so excited to see the following story on the local news. Maggie now has a school in Kenya that was made in her honor. Please watch the video on this. It is just so special. Just like Maggie.
Please click on her name and then you will have to start the viedo.

5 comments:

Celestial Freak said...

So many blessings through such a tragic event. I was a non teen like her too, valuing the opinion of anyone, I think I could have really been friends with her.

Thank you for sharing all this. She sounds like she was an amazing young woman.

nannykim said...

Man that is sooooo hard. I am glad the mom can turn the loss into blessings for others...what a difficult trial. I know we all have to face this--we all have to face the death of our loved ones if we don't die first. Thank the Lord, for His grace and mercy and hope.

Lori said...

Beautiful girl - inside and outside.
Very tragic and sad.
That is awesome that they could start a school in her memory.
I agree many blessings.

Kathi said...

Maggie was such a beautiful girl. This is so so sad and hard for her parents. The mother is doing such a good thing by blessing others out of her own pain and loss; and keeping her daughter's memory alive. This is the third beautiful girl I've heard of this year, lost to a car accident. God bless that family, Kathi

Rose of Sharon said...

That was so moving. Thank you for sharing her story. She is my hero. What a lovely girl. I love how she loved hanging out with you and the other ladies, how neat. I love how her mother is remembering her, it is just beautiful.

Thank you again for sharing this.

Love, Sharon