Sweet Lauren

Why do children have to die? I know all of the right answers....we live in a sinful world and death is part of it. It's part of the fall of Adam. It may help those of us left here on Earth learn some valuable lesson. God doesn't want His children to suffer, but the fall of mankind makes this world imperfect. God gives and takes away....we own nothing. All of these answers make sense, but they don't take away the pain: the pain of losing your firstborn, the pain of losing a precious student, the pain of losing a dear friend, the pain of losing your only sister. So much pain.

There are hearts breaking all over because Lauren is no longer with us, but those same hearts are also hopefully rejoicing in knowing that Lauren is happier and more perfect than she's ever been. Her pain and suffering is over, and she is singing and dancing in heaven with her Savior. But it still hurts us. We miss her.

Lauren was a gift to us. As her teacher, I will hold onto so many memories we created together, like reading "Where the Red Fern Grows" crying at the end and passing each other the tissue box as the tears streamed down our cheeks. Like reading Twilight when she was so tired she could barely keep her eyes open and she said, "I'm so tired, but I love this book so much, so KEEP READING!" Like the time she wouldn't take her medicine until Joe suggested she take it for Ms. Christie. .... "OK, for Christie," she replied and promptly swallowed her medicine. How incredibly special that moment was for me. Thank you Lauren. Thank you God. Thank you for these priceless, precious moments I so blessedly shared with Lauren. Thank you.

One thing about Lauren that amazed me the most was her independence and determination. She was so weak and frail in her last few weeks, but she insisted on taking her medicine herself and pushing her morphine button herself. She wanted to hold her drink herself. She didn't want anyone doing things for her. She could do it herself. What a fighter. What a winner. What an inspiration.

Thank God for Lauren. Thank God that He shared her with us for as long as He did. Such a beautiful soul is too good for this Earth. She is home now, where she belongs, where God wants her, where we will all rejoice when we see her again someday. Thank God for Lauren.