A memory of someone

In the winter (like February maybe?) before our family left for Kenya my wonderful girlfriend Natalie invited me to a women’s retreat.

I have to say that I generally find all sorts of reasonable excuses for why I can’t go to these kinds of things.  They just generally aren’t (or weren’t) my speed.  Too much awkward chit-chat.  Sometimes too much information from one person who overshares and dominates conversations.  People wanting to give unsolicited advice, dorky book bags with even dorkier iron-on graphics, and on and on.

Anyhow, I decided that I would go just for the benefit of spending time with my wonderful friends Natalie and Erika.  It was at the beach, and I still had some good skipping out skills in me that were perfected in highschool.  I figured if the sessions were too boring, I’d head to the beach.

So, short story on the retreat was that it was pleasantly surprising in the time I got to spend by myself and reflect.

The reason for me writing this post is that Natalie’s friend, LoriLee was the worship leader and piano  player during the conference.  She was unabashed in her worship and playing.  If I could paint a visual picture, you would see a dark haired, skinny women, standing at a keyboard, bouncing up and down and she banged on the keys.  She was one of those people who played the chorus OVER and OVER.

We kind of made some inside jokes about it.  I had never heard the song she banged out on the keyboard, but after that conference it was BURNED into my brain.

After coming back from Kenya, and a few short months later (I think), Natalie shared with me that her dear friend had died of a brain tumor.  The next day after going over a year and a half without hearing that banged out song, I heard it on the radio,  and it felt like LoriLee was singing it right at me.

Today, every time I heard that song, I think of Lorilee banging on that keyboard, of a wonderful retreat with my girlfriends and some great time to really reflect.

What song, or smell, or sight brings up a specific memory for you?

By the way, the song is My Savior My God by Aaron Shust,

 

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