I wish none of us had an introduction as a bereaved parent, which is always so sad... I would like to tell you about our youngest child, our daughter Michelle Marie. She is our Angel and has been now for almost 12 years. Michelle was 9 years old when she parted when struck by a car attempting to board her school bus. Michelle was a bright and beautiful fourth grader, was rarely if ever sick and had no health problems. She loved arts, music, creativity and nature, mostly Michelle loved "love..." Michelle was a "giver" in everything she did and was always considering others before herself.
I am mother to three most precious children, our Mike is 24 now and our Melissa is 23 and our Michelle, well, she would have been 20 on her last Birthday, which is two days before mine, the end of August....so her 21st BD is this summer!
We also have a Grandson..our first Grandchild, Johnathan, he turns four years old on February 26th and he is SUCH a blessing, he is our son's son!!
Michelle was born August 24th 1984 and was my special Birthday surprise since my Birthday is the 27th of August..Oh the joy I found in my little 7 pound four ounce baby girl :-) She was precious from the start, even labor, though I had her natural, was very special... Michelle grew and grew and was a beautiful little auburn haired girl with bright green eyes that had a sparkle no one could deny, she had a sprinkle of freckles upon her little nose and rosy cheeks, she loved to sing and perform plays and play her keyboard, Michelle was very artistic and loved God and her family and friends with all her heart. Michelle was a giver and not a taker. She cared for others, including insects and every living creature in a most special way.. If anyone was ever down she would turn that frown into a broad smile because Michelle believed in happiness, and beauty...
When Michelle was in fourth grade and nine years old she attempted to board her school bus one crisp and sunny morning on November 5th 1993.. We had just moved to the country and our children were in a new school and riding a bus which was also new since they walked to school when we lived in town.
Approximately 7:30 AM on that Friday morning, Michelle was struck on her back by a speeding motorist late for work who had just passed two cars. Michelle was lying in front of our house on the side of the road where she had been thrown, she did not appear hurt and we didn't know it yet but she was brain dead as her brain stem had been irretrievably damaged from the impact to her tiny little body, Michelle only weighed 55 pounds, she was so petite but just starting another growth spurt when this happened.
My husband and I had been looking out the window watching our children off to their school bus and our older two were ahead of Michelle as she had some extra things to gather up. There was no fear for any of our children's safety crossing the street as they were all very well trained and aware of the danger of all streets. (Our only fear was our dog maybe getting lose and not understanding the dangers of the road, and also a possible kidnapping, so I would always watch to make sure they boarded alright.) Of course we had no way of knowing that a fluke of things would materialize such as a substitute driver for the school bus who did not use flashers, that the bus would arrive ten minutes early that particular day, that a young man late for work would pass two cars and that Michelle would drop something in the middle of the road and then bend over to get it, being struck in her back by a car that could not stop in time. Michelle never knew what happened and for this we are grateful. However my husband and myself were looking together that day when this happened right in front of our house and though it is 300 feet to the road and we have alot of countless Ponderosa pines everywhere, I must have blocked out what I saw..
My husband ran out and performed CPR and brought her heart back. But he had to continually breathe for her as she could and would never again breathe on her own again.. Our older two children were like myself in a total state of shock and I attempted to call 911 repeatedly to no avail, their line was busy, someone however did get ahold of emergency as eventually the ambulance, then later the helicopter came, they asked Michelle's Daddy and my husband to please leave her and let them take over, by now our older two children and myself were sitting in a heated police car in our driveway and my husband all ashen came to join us... I could only say over and over as if in a trance... "I love you God, I love you Michelle..."
I remember waiting by the window as Michelle bounced down our driveway with her ear muffs, book bag, math paper and lunchbox, why is it taking so long for her to cross the street and then when I saw the bus approaching and hadn't seen her cross yet, how my heart sank.... I immediately sensed danger and it wasn't fitting together right, WHY was the bus coming SO early? We are at the very beginning of the route, (I had no idea it was a substitute bus driver that day and she had left early not knowing the route very well.)
God told my heart when I heard the "noise" that Michelle was in Jesus' arms and if I wanted her to survive, that there was a five percent chance but Michelle would forever be a vegetable not knowing her own self or anyone else, never to live again the life she once knew, this frightened me more than picturing her safe in Jesus' arms... and so Michelle was able to give life to five people and sight to two since she was kept alive through her Daddy's CPR and later the medical teams who tried to save her.
By 7:30 PM that same night we left the hospital knowing our baby girl would never come home again..It was the worst drive home ever and frankly I never thought I would live to see daylight of the next day... But I did, and now as it has been eleven years I sit in wonder in bewilderment how I have ever survived all these years...
Please go and visit my web sites if you have time, they are highlighted in my signature below. You will get to know Michelle very well at Heartland Ridge and see other Angels at Memorial Gardens at my Wellesley Garden site and Angels of Heart to Heart site. Thanks for taking the time to read this long post and God bless you all. I am so sorry for all of your pain in the parting of your Angels but I do know one sweet day we will all be together eternally, my only saving grace in this.. Maybe some day I will share with you the last Bible verse Michelle and I memorized which was John 10:28-29 about eternal life and the last conversation we had days before she parted, about death, eternal life and never having to say goodbye.. And the last conversation big sister Melissa had with Michelle days before she parted also about death and Jesus.. I have alot had alot of "Sweet Dreams" which is what Michelle wrote to me in her last letter to me, you can see this also at my web site..
Love, Cindy Jo
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
John 10:28-29
www.geocities.com/Heartland/Ridge/8557 aka michellemaries
www.geocities.com/Wellesley/Garden/2484 aka cindyjos
www.geocities.com/angelsofhearttoheart
www.geocities.com/michellesmama
Mother Forever to Michelle Marie 8-24-84 ~ 11-5-93
John 10:28-29 ~ Phil. 3:8-9
Let me reflect to the last days before Michelle parted to share with you why I am so convicted of God’s promise of eternal life. Michelle memorized Bible scripture for six years at Awana, a worldwide youth program held at churches acrossed the globe! On the night of November 3rd, just two days before Michelle parted, Michelle had John 10:28-29 signed off in her Awana book as the last verse she memorized. Michelle and I had talked extensively over this verse and what eternal life meant. Michelle told me she knew that when Jesus came back we would get new bodies, she knew that death wasn’t permanent because it was just "our shell that perished for now." Michelle explained that if she were to die before me to "look for the brightest star and she would be shining and smiling down on me," and that she "would never leave me," that she would "love me always and we would never have to say good-bye!" Little did we know then that two nights later she would be declared brain dead. Little did we know, but God knew, and He was preparing us unbeknownst to us. Not only did God prepare us that night but He prepared us in other ways in the weeks that precipitated this tragedy and in many ways, he prepared us all of Michelle’s life as the conversations we had when another child died were how "God takes little children too." Michelle always had a serene wiser than her years attitude about death, it never scared or worried her.
Ten days before Michelle died, she had walked in on her older sister Melissa to find her forlorn at her window. Michelle asked Melissa what was wrong. Melissa replied that she never wanted to die and was afraid of death. Michelle gave her a bug hug and said, "Masissa, you don’t have to be afraid to die, I’m not because Jesus will be with me!"
Michelle nicknamed her older sibling Melissa, Masissa because it stood for, mom and sister! Michelle was very devoted to her sister and family and always had a way of comforting each of us when we were down.
Then there was the last picture Michelle gave to me that she drew with her last letter to me. Michelle gave me this the week before she parted. The picture of a little girl standing on a smiling crescent moon. The picture speaks for itself. There is a cross, stars and a sun and a vapory trail leads to a staircase. Next to it are the words: "Love, you Rove you, Wove you! Have sweet dreams mommy, I just love you so much!"
Michelle and I shared this silly birdtalk ever since the time we went to the pet shop and a large bird greeted us with "rello!" These were to be the last words we spoke that morning when Michelle left for school, "Love you, Rove you, Wove you." It was never good-bye.
It never will be good-bye for life is eternal as John 10:28-29 states: "And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither can any man pluck them out of my Father’s hand, the Father who gave them to me is greater than all, and no one shall snatch them out of His hands." Michelle and I memorized this verse together, and it would be her last before she parted.
Does all this have significance to me? Yes. This comforts me because I do not believe any of it is coincidental or accidental. I believe God was preparing us unbeknownst to us. I believe God wants this to be my testimony to share with others, and I have. It is my hope to comfort others through these experiences and lighten other’s grief.
I still hurt and I still miss Michelle but I will always be her mother and she will always be my daughter. It is like I once told a friend who didn’t understand, I said, "if you were deaf, blind and without touch, would you still love your daughter (who is alive)? I said, "I can’t see, touch or hear Michelle but I love her just the same! To me this is the best way I can describe my love for Michelle. I will always love her and I know Michelle wants me to share her Testimony with all and to be your Healinghearts Friend forever!!
Love, Cindy Jo
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
John 10:28-29
..
"The Salt & The Light" Matthew 5:13-16 [NIV]
"You are the salt of the earth...You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on it's stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before man, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven".
The reason this verse is VERY DEAR to my heart is because on the night of November 4th 1993, our youngest child Michelle created a manger and a salt shaker. Michelle was always creating things, her own ideas and her own work, she never asked for or received my help with her creations. She made this manger from graham crackers and used yard to make a large star on top of the manger..she also took an old film container and wrote salt on it and then placed salt inside of it. When I asked Michelle about the star on the manger she said the big star was THE STAR OF DAVID... Michelle let her light shine and made the salt of the earth a presence the night before she went to Heaven..below is her picture that I took which was the last picture I ever took of her alive on this earth. She made a turkey and a Christmas tree and she is displaying them in this picture also.
Michelle Marie Greever 1984~1993
IN LOVING MEMORY ~ www.geocities.com/michellemaries
May 2005 bring you much Joy, Love, Peace, Salt and Light.
Love, CindyJo
This is a picture of Erica, a little girl who received one of Michelle's kidneys. When Michelle became an organ and cornea donor she gave sight to two men, another kidney to a lady, her liver to an infant and her heart valves save two newborn baby boys lives from Texas.
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April 16th 2006
CindyJo Greever copyrite © 2005 -2006 michellesmama@hotmail.com
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