You loved Green because you said it was the color of Life and you ate Life cereal every morning because you loved that you could actually eat Life!

We were a group of unruly opinionated dramatic kids and you asked us to be silent for a whole 24 hours and then you brought us into the Wheaton wilderness for a day that incorporated the sacred and the silly and the active and the thoughtful and you gave us a chance to really think about ourselves and where we were and where we wanted to be.

You did this year after year after year and never seemed to tire of our questions or our dramatic fights and fits, our youthfulness and our immaturity.

You called me Kaitlyn Fae and then Faitlyn Kae and then Faitlandia (and occasionally Feta, Feta Cheese or just FC Barrett.)

Because of you I keep a visual journal where I can “bracket” and react to my life.

Because of your desk

I decorate my tiny desk spaces

Because of you I rarely use the words reciprocity or juxtaposition because they always make me laugh and I don’t do the Workout “huh” anymore but I used to. A lot.

You taught me how to take risks, the importance of growing things and story telling, the glory of white lights on a tree in the courtyard, the physical translations of home and grace, that barefoot is good but rolling someone’s sleeves up is better, that it’s ok to cry my heads off and singing off key is fantastic as long as I’m singing.

I won’t ever hear “Suzanne” without thinking of you.

I love you. I miss you. I know that I wouldn’t be me without you.

RIP Jimma.

May God bless and keep you (finally!) in the light where your body will always be strong and there’s an endless supply of torpedo rolls, coca cola and laughter.

Until we meet again.