R.I.P. Kara

The card that arrived in yesterday's mail was heartbreaking.

The front showed a photo of a girl dribbling a soccer ball and the text at the top read, "In Loving Memory of Kara Lynn Lemanowicz July 11, 2001- September 5, 2015."

Kara was the Eastern H.S. freshman who died at a sleepover with friends from her club team shortly before the school season began last September.

The card came to me as treasurer of Haddonfield's girls soccer program because many of our families contributed to send a donation to the Lemanowicz family in Kara's memory.

I did not know Kara or her family and cannot imagine the grief they felt and surely still feel to this day.  I can only hope there was some comfort in the support from the Haddonfield team and so many others in the South Jersey soccer community and that Kara's spirit lives on.

The inside of the card read:

A friendly smile
A casual touch,
These are the things
That mean so much,
To know you are with us 
In our time of sorrow,
Sharing our prayer,
Today and tomorrow,
God gives us comfort 
In the form of good friends,
May his peace be with you,
His love never ends.

The family of 
Kara Lynn Lemanowicz