Thinking of Colleen

This weekend my parents told me some very sad news. Colleen Z., a friend of mine from grade school, had passed away recently. I met Colleen when she transferred to our school in 5th grade. She had the most enviable hair on the planet - this thick, red, curly mane that was so cool to a thin, brown, straight haired girl. We had slumber parties, were in youth group together and even stood around in the freezing cold parking lot at recess together. Colleen was honestly one of the nicest people I had ever met in a school where a good majority of my class was pretty mean and cliquish. Colleen always made me laugh, she thought of others before herself and had a great heart.

In that 5th grade class Colleen also met Mary who was also in youth group. They became great friends and kept in touch after Colleen's family moved away. After college Colleen moved back and became roommates and, eventually, were married a few years ago. They actually were great friends of my college pal Mark...such a small world. When they came up to Chicago a few years back we all met up for dinner and they were so much like I remembered them to be: dry sense of humor, great laugh, still so involved in the church and active in fun things like square dancing.

I'm very sad that we've lost a warm and wonderful Colleen. To Mary, Mark and all of their friends and families I send my thoughts.

She will be greatly missed.

Attached are two scans from my "Young Years Diary" in grade school. One is our 5th grade class photo. (Yes, my hair is horrific but it was my stylist's idea.) The other was one of the sections from the book where I filled out Colleen as one of my favorite people.