MOMMY'S LITTLE 5 YEAR OLD KANDA
Memories forgotten so many years ago,
but given back to me,
""Kanda's Mom,""
and in more detail than I originally ever knew,
by a very dear friend,
""Donna Krutsinger""
who has
""GRACED""
A GRIEVING MOM
with one of the
richest
gifts I will ever receive,
Kanda's kindergarten year in school,
taught by
(Mrs. Nancy Stringer)
and
KANDA'S
legacy
for
all time.
How can I ever thank you, dear friend??
My hugs to you
Donna
from
an
"ANGEL MOM"
(Kanda's Mommy's)
Memories forgotten until
April 24, 2007
Written by Donna Krutsinger ( April 24th, 2007)
Many years ago I remember the cutest, little round-faced kindergartener. I was 17 years old at the time, holding down my first "real" job - a secretary at a local school through the co-op program. My supervisor, who I grew to just love, was not known to be overly affectionate with the students at the school. One might say she was "all business." Therefore, myself - along with the other office personnel - didn't quite know how to take it the first day that Kanda came into the office as an innocent little kindergartener with big tears welling up in her eyes. The head secretary looked at her and questioned her - "What's wrong with you little girl?" Kanda, looking up through her tears, replied, "I miss my Mommy." Given the head secretary's behavior in the past, we all figured the little girl would be scolded and told to get back to class. However, this day, for some reason, the secretary replied, "You do. Well, what's your name? You just come around here with me. (behind the office counter, which was unheard of for a child who came down to the office to be invited behind the counter) The secretary continued, "So you miss your Mommy. Would you like me to call her so you could talk to her?" (to which Kanda nodded her head yes with the tears by this time streaming down her face) Thus started Kanda's office visits and her
unknowing ability to melt this secretary's heart and to get her to dial the phone for her so that she may talk to her Mother for a minute then traipse contentedly back to class.
Many years passed before my path would cross with Kanda again. I graduated from high school, graduated from college, became a high school teacher in another area of the state but moved back in a period of about nine years. I was actually back at our home town high school filling in for another teacher who was out on maternity leave when who do I see but this cute, little round faced girl but now all grown up. She certainly wasn't shy nor crying anymore. She had grown into a beautiful and outgoing, happy young lady. The thing that stands out in my mind the most was her laugh - it was almost contagious.
Kanda left a lasting impression on many of us whose paths crossed at one time or another during her lifetime, tragically cut too short. She is sadly missed by many.