Happy Heavenly Birthday Amy

    Today is Amy's birthday. Her dad and I talked about it a few times in the past couple of weeks. Things like, "Amy's birthday is only a few days away," and the answer, "yes I know," and then nothing more. Why are birthdays, holidays and special days so hard?  We miss them every day, but more so on special days. January 30th will always be her day! We would have mailed a card, called her and wish her Happy Birthday on facebook with funny pics through the years and tag her so she would see.
    Working on a project for another high school graduation in our family has kept me busy looking through old pictures. And up until two years ago she was in so many of our family photos, as you would expect, and her face has appeared over and over today...tears.
    I went for a walk and as usual I talk to God. I asked Him to tell me something He wanted me to know. I was trying to clear my mind of the memories  when I heard wind chimes... always a sweet sound. Amy gave me wind chimes several years ago and they hang outside by my porch every year in warm weather. When they make beautiful sounds in the wind I hear her say,"Hey I'm okay, I'm happy and I'll see you again." Sometimes I smile and sometimes the ache to see her and hear her sweet soft voice is overwhelming. But today the sound sent a message from God that I needed to acknowledge her special day.
   I began to think about all the things she loved here. And all the things I want everyone to know about her. These are only a few.
    She was passionate about Jesus and she wasn't afraid to die. She didn't want to leave her family, but she knew where she was going. She loved deeply. If you are related to her you were a recipient of her love and you were blessed by her. If she was your friend, you knew she would always be your friend, because she was fiercely loyal.
   Amy Elizabeth Hulen Kelley was competitive! She was a fierce competitor in basketball and soccer and any other game. She wanted to win and she wanted to be the best!  Laughing hysterically and making those around her laugh too was a huge part of her personality. Colorado became her home and she loved the mountains. She loved the color purple and she loved senior citizens.
    Her fair skin was a blessing and a curse. A blessing because coupled with her auburn hair, beautiful eyes and the few freckles sprinkled across her nose she was a natural beauty, though she never believed that about herself. A curse because the sun was not her friend.  
    Trying new things and going new places was another love, and she wanted her children to experience those things too. She always knew what was going on in the community, where she could introduce them to fishing, or the circus, or a parade or whatever might be happening that she wanted to be a part of.
     She was known for gift giving. Her gifts were always perfect, just right for the recipient, and after her gift was opened and oohed over then we always felt ours were inadequate. Always. But that was something else to love about her.
    Intelligence was one of her attributes. She was very, very smart. And she passed that to her boys. She always made sure their homework was done and they had better have good grades.
    When Amy became sick she was an ICU nurse in Colorado Springs. She was an excellent nurse and cared passionately for her patients. The picture at the beginning was in the lobby of the hospital. One of her patients nominated her as one of the Hero's of the medical community there.  She reluctantly showed it to us and of course tried to say it wasn't a big deal. But it was a big deal to that patient.
    There are so many more things I could say about her, but the main thing I want to do is to acknowledge that a sweet baby girl was born on this day in 1976 and she brought so much joy to the lives of her parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. She was a wonderful wife and a loving and protective Mom to her boys and Mimi to her grandchildren and we all miss her terribly.
    All these things I've described were good things. Not all things in Amy's life were good. Like all of us, we go through good times and bad times. But the day she closed her eyes here and opened them in Heaven God made everything good. Every. Thing. Good.
     We love and miss her and on her birthday today we remember her and the life she shared with all of us.
(If you are related or a friend please share any memories that you have. We would love to know)