Makenzie as a Saint

The other day was All Saints Day. A day to remember loved ones that are already living with Jesus. I didn't think much of it until this year. Our school did a chapel for all saints day. Pastor Jon led the chapel as normal but it wasn't a normal chapel. As we walked in there were 4 flower pots of sand on the stage and i think 4 candles. Pastor Jon invited everyone (teachers and students) to come forward and light a candle off of one of the 4 main candles. No body went up at first but as soon as one person went forward, almost everyone in the room participated. Nancy and I went up and were the first ones to light and place a candle in the sand for one of the pots. We placed ours directly in the middle of the pot and returned to our seats. Tears began to stream down my face as i looked around. I watched as almost every student and teacher placed a candle in the sand. I can't help but think at least 1/3 of all of those candles were for Makenzie. After this, the choir sang Keep Your lamps". This was the very first song i sang with the LSA choir my freshman year when Sherohman was still our teacher. Makenzie and i would harmonize down the hallways. Her singing the alto part and me singing the soprano part. I looked up at all my friends singing. Makenzie was supposed to be up there and I was supposed to be singing it with her. Even though we both were not going to do choir this year, we would have been in the audience harmonizing together while we should have be just listening to the choir. My tears began to come faster and Nancy gave me a tissue to wipe up my mascara. All Saints Day is something i think of in order to remember grandparents or great grandparents. Maybe even a aunt or a uncle... not your 18 year old best friend. I didn't want to remember Kenzie on all saints day. i wanted her here with me remembering loved ones that had passed. I didn't want to remember Kenzie on this day. I just wanted her there sitting beside me.