Today I received news that gave me a mix of emotions. My high school guidance counselor, MaryAnn Gambill, passed away this morning after a long battle with Hepatitis C and it's complications. Of course my first emotion was sadness at losing an amazing friend and mentor. To even try to describe how she impacted innumerable lives would be absolutely impossible. But that sad news is also happy news because I know she is now in Heaven, no longer in pain, spending time with her Father. Mrs. Gambill was one of the first people I met when I started at Kent View Christian High School my sophomore year, mainly because she was the guidance counselor :). During my first couple months there, I noticed that a good majority of the students would go spend their free time in the school office, which I found kind of ridiculous. I mean, who would want to hang out in the school office of all places during break times, right?! Well, I soon found out that everyone was going to hang out in Mrs. Gambill's office. She always had a smile, a hug, and her candy jar (in that order) available the minute you walked through her door. I never thought she noticed me, mainly because I would always try to blend in with the other students, being too shy to want to be noticed. But, one day she caught me, gave me a hug, sat me down in a chair and had me talking within minutes. After a year I had made a close group of 4 friends and we would always hang out at her house. That's what was so great about her, she was there for us outside of school as well. She called all of her students "her kids"; it was awesome, we were all like adopted kids to her. And to every student who walked through her door she showed unconditional love, the type of love that Jesus constantly taught. Whether you were the school goof-off or the valedictorian, she loved you equally. One of my regrets is that after graduating and starting at Western I didn't go see her as much as I would have liked to. I lost touch with her for a while, except through the occasional email. She joined Facebook just so she could reconnect with all of her kids, and now her wall is becoming a memorial page, filling up with people sharing memories and leaving messages. I am sad that she is gone and that I don't get to hear her call me her kid again, but I am now looking forward to seeing her again in Heaven and receiving one of her hugs. She was an amazing woman of God, and because of that she is now with God livin' it up :).
a
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
What a beautiful memorial to Mrs. Gambill, Ab's. I can see her smile, too. She was an amazing lady and her absence will truely be felt. We'll have to keep her hugs going. Give those college kids hugs today! Love, Mom
so sorry you lost someone special. "eternal rest grant unto them o Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them, and may the souls of the faithfully departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace, amen."
Post a Comment