. |
Seeds for Change Wellness
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
In Memory of an Extraordinary Person...Kelly Pomrinke
In Memory of an Extraordinary Person...Kelly Pomrinke
by Susan Anderson November 27, 2006
As I sit here readying myself to write, the tears are flowing, and I have to stop to center myself so I
can tell you about a special individual who I was graced with the pleasure of knowing. It was April
16, 2005 when I first met Kelly. She had heard that Reiki might be helpful in assisting her with the
health challenges she was experiencing. She stopped by to meet with me and shortly after we
started our journey together.
Kelly was a young, vibrant woman with a smile that would melt anyone looking at her. When I think
of her, I think of the lady in pink. Maybe it is my imagination, or maybe it was the energy of her
spirit that I am remembering, but it seems as if she was always dressed in a soft shade of pink, with
the warmth of that color emanating outward to all.
She was diagnosed with breast cancer shortly before giving birth to her daughter Kira. Over the
time we worked together, Kelly had a unyielding determination, a depth of courage few possess,
and a center of love, available to all who crossed her path. Kelly passed away at a very young age
of 32 on Friday, November 24, 2006.
Almost a year ago, Kelly had written part of her story and sent it to me, so that it might be shared
with others, to give them hope. Read Kelly's Story
Below are the words I will be speaking at her memorial. It best summaries my good fortune to have
had the opportunity to get to know such a remarkable person.
A Tribute to Kelly... August 7, 1974 - November 24, 2006
My name is Susan and I have had the honor and privilege of getting to know Kelly and working with
her with holistic healing techniques since shortly after she was diagnosed with cancer. Although I
only knew her for a brief time, through a small window in her house of life, it was long enough to
see, feel and be touched by her shining light.
Life is a mystery, with levels, dimensions and depths beyond the ability of our human minds to fully
comprehend. When we are born, we arrive as spirit looking for human experiences, not as a
human seeking spiritual experiences. Although this may seem like a minor transposition of words, it
is not. Our spiritual essence, who we truly are, is what we instinctively display for others to see and
it is what we feel when we encounter those we are around.
As we progress through life, we are given many challenges, opportunities and possibilities for
shining our spiritual light. Sometimes the difficulties of these encounters, will be so overwhelming
and if we allow it, it may appear to dim or diminish our light.
From the I very first time I met Kelly I was impressed by her energy…she could beam a smile that
would penetrate genuinely, warming all those around her. With her eyes, she could look with
intense interest, and with her soul, she showed her ability to love at the deepest levels… displaying
a love for self, a love for family, and a love for life.
When I started working with Kelly, she had been handed the most difficult role of her lifetime
…dealing with a critical illness, that like an octopus, had long reaching tentacles, touching into the
many facets of her life. My role in working with her was to help her in her journey, by introducing
some additional tools she could use and rely upon, as she searched for her truth and her answers.
This was a journey that came without a readable map or even any clear cut directions. And like
most travels, was one with much changing scenery. At times the weather was beautiful and the ride
was smooth, at other times, there were abrupt, unexpected storms and bumps in the road. But
irregardless of the conditions, Kelly's light never dimmed.
One of the first things I shared with Kelly was something I learned early in life but had not actually
consistently embraced and practiced until many years later…which was:
“Kelly, We may not be able to control what circumstances we are presented with, but we choose
how we respond to them."
Kelly, a quick learner, put this into practice without hesitation. I would like to share some of the
ways she did this…Whatever life asked of her, Kelly answered with love. Whenever conflict
threatened, Kelly moved forward in harmony. What was taken from her, Kelly give back in
generosity. Whenever there was a storm, Kelly practiced remaining in a calm center. Whenever
there was despair, Kelly sowed the seed of hopes. And wherever there was dryness, she would go
and get the rain.
I was in awe of Kelly and told her regularly how amazing she was…the words I would choose to use
were, "Kelly you have an indomitable spirit", for this is something I observed often. My husband
and I visited with Kelly the day before Thanksgiving. She was struggling physically, yet her spirit
was not. As we were getting ready to leave, I mentioned how her energy could be seen. Around her
head, was a vibrancy of white light, radiating strongly, as if to say, "Remember this body is not who
I am. I am choosing to respond through my spiritual light, which can never be extinguished."
Through our times together, Kelly worked hard on her healing to gain a deeper understanding of
life on all levels and in the process blossomed. We shared ideas, thoughts, tears, laughter,
stories, the good times, and the difficult ones. Each encounter giving us both more, each
encounter bringing out the teacher and the student in us.
We are very fortunate when we have people who enter our lives who can leave such a strong
imprint….Kelly is one of these spirits…
So as we come together today to wish goodbye to Kelly, we also come here to celebrate her life
and all that she has given to each of us. I would like to make a suggestion to those of you who
have shared and created many precious memories with Kelly..write them down and send them to
Jon to save for Kira. As she grows and develops and reaches some of the major milestones in life,
it will be comforting for her to read what you have written about her mother. It will give her a glimpse
of Kelly that she did not have the opportunity to personally observe yet, she will feel the magic of
Kelly’s life through your eyes and hearts.
In conclusion I would like to share a poem entitled
A Journey Just Begun
Don’t think of me as gone away—
my journey’s just begun
Life holds so many facets-
this earth is only one
Just think of me as resting-
from the sorrows and the tears
In a place of warmth and comfort-
where there are no days or years
Think how I must be wishing-
that you could know today
How nothing but our sadness-
can really pass away
And think of me as living-
in the hearts of those I touched
For nothing loved is ever lost—
and I was loved so much.
As Kelly moves along into the next stage of her journey, she leaves behind her glowing light....that
indomitable spirit that shines in love...and really, when all is said and done, this is our only true
purpose in life....to share love.
I have been blessed with this gift from her. Thank you Kelly! Many Blessings to You!
Susan Anderson
by Susan Anderson November 27, 2006
As I sit here readying myself to write, the tears are flowing, and I have to stop to center myself so I
can tell you about a special individual who I was graced with the pleasure of knowing. It was April
16, 2005 when I first met Kelly. She had heard that Reiki might be helpful in assisting her with the
health challenges she was experiencing. She stopped by to meet with me and shortly after we
started our journey together.
Kelly was a young, vibrant woman with a smile that would melt anyone looking at her. When I think
of her, I think of the lady in pink. Maybe it is my imagination, or maybe it was the energy of her
spirit that I am remembering, but it seems as if she was always dressed in a soft shade of pink, with
the warmth of that color emanating outward to all.
She was diagnosed with breast cancer shortly before giving birth to her daughter Kira. Over the
time we worked together, Kelly had a unyielding determination, a depth of courage few possess,
and a center of love, available to all who crossed her path. Kelly passed away at a very young age
of 32 on Friday, November 24, 2006.
Almost a year ago, Kelly had written part of her story and sent it to me, so that it might be shared
with others, to give them hope. Read Kelly's Story
Below are the words I will be speaking at her memorial. It best summaries my good fortune to have
had the opportunity to get to know such a remarkable person.
A Tribute to Kelly... August 7, 1974 - November 24, 2006
My name is Susan and I have had the honor and privilege of getting to know Kelly and working with
her with holistic healing techniques since shortly after she was diagnosed with cancer. Although I
only knew her for a brief time, through a small window in her house of life, it was long enough to
see, feel and be touched by her shining light.
Life is a mystery, with levels, dimensions and depths beyond the ability of our human minds to fully
comprehend. When we are born, we arrive as spirit looking for human experiences, not as a
human seeking spiritual experiences. Although this may seem like a minor transposition of words, it
is not. Our spiritual essence, who we truly are, is what we instinctively display for others to see and
it is what we feel when we encounter those we are around.
As we progress through life, we are given many challenges, opportunities and possibilities for
shining our spiritual light. Sometimes the difficulties of these encounters, will be so overwhelming
and if we allow it, it may appear to dim or diminish our light.
From the I very first time I met Kelly I was impressed by her energy…she could beam a smile that
would penetrate genuinely, warming all those around her. With her eyes, she could look with
intense interest, and with her soul, she showed her ability to love at the deepest levels… displaying
a love for self, a love for family, and a love for life.
When I started working with Kelly, she had been handed the most difficult role of her lifetime
…dealing with a critical illness, that like an octopus, had long reaching tentacles, touching into the
many facets of her life. My role in working with her was to help her in her journey, by introducing
some additional tools she could use and rely upon, as she searched for her truth and her answers.
This was a journey that came without a readable map or even any clear cut directions. And like
most travels, was one with much changing scenery. At times the weather was beautiful and the ride
was smooth, at other times, there were abrupt, unexpected storms and bumps in the road. But
irregardless of the conditions, Kelly's light never dimmed.
One of the first things I shared with Kelly was something I learned early in life but had not actually
consistently embraced and practiced until many years later…which was:
“Kelly, We may not be able to control what circumstances we are presented with, but we choose
how we respond to them."
Kelly, a quick learner, put this into practice without hesitation. I would like to share some of the
ways she did this…Whatever life asked of her, Kelly answered with love. Whenever conflict
threatened, Kelly moved forward in harmony. What was taken from her, Kelly give back in
generosity. Whenever there was a storm, Kelly practiced remaining in a calm center. Whenever
there was despair, Kelly sowed the seed of hopes. And wherever there was dryness, she would go
and get the rain.
I was in awe of Kelly and told her regularly how amazing she was…the words I would choose to use
were, "Kelly you have an indomitable spirit", for this is something I observed often. My husband
and I visited with Kelly the day before Thanksgiving. She was struggling physically, yet her spirit
was not. As we were getting ready to leave, I mentioned how her energy could be seen. Around her
head, was a vibrancy of white light, radiating strongly, as if to say, "Remember this body is not who
I am. I am choosing to respond through my spiritual light, which can never be extinguished."
Through our times together, Kelly worked hard on her healing to gain a deeper understanding of
life on all levels and in the process blossomed. We shared ideas, thoughts, tears, laughter,
stories, the good times, and the difficult ones. Each encounter giving us both more, each
encounter bringing out the teacher and the student in us.
We are very fortunate when we have people who enter our lives who can leave such a strong
imprint….Kelly is one of these spirits…
So as we come together today to wish goodbye to Kelly, we also come here to celebrate her life
and all that she has given to each of us. I would like to make a suggestion to those of you who
have shared and created many precious memories with Kelly..write them down and send them to
Jon to save for Kira. As she grows and develops and reaches some of the major milestones in life,
it will be comforting for her to read what you have written about her mother. It will give her a glimpse
of Kelly that she did not have the opportunity to personally observe yet, she will feel the magic of
Kelly’s life through your eyes and hearts.
In conclusion I would like to share a poem entitled
A Journey Just Begun
Don’t think of me as gone away—
my journey’s just begun
Life holds so many facets-
this earth is only one
Just think of me as resting-
from the sorrows and the tears
In a place of warmth and comfort-
where there are no days or years
Think how I must be wishing-
that you could know today
How nothing but our sadness-
can really pass away
And think of me as living-
in the hearts of those I touched
For nothing loved is ever lost—
and I was loved so much.
As Kelly moves along into the next stage of her journey, she leaves behind her glowing light....that
indomitable spirit that shines in love...and really, when all is said and done, this is our only true
purpose in life....to share love.
I have been blessed with this gift from her. Thank you Kelly! Many Blessings to You!
Susan Anderson