thoughts of prom night fun

shared by VJ Rabuy, her sister

It may be because the academic year is coming to a close, or because I've been seeing special mega-issues of magazines at the drugstore, or because Disney is coming out with a movie...but this time of year gets me thinking of PROM!!

I can still remember my first prom. It was actually Cyn's Junior Prom and I was invited as a freshman. I think it was because I was an underclassman, or maybe it was because the boy who asked me, Adriel, was best friends with Chris, who asked my best friend, Carolyn; but that first prom I went to was the most fun and most memorable prom or dance I attended in all of high school.

One thing that made it so special was the questionnaire Cyn generated and had her 50 closest friends fill out. It was complete with expectations for the night (romantic, platonic, wild and crazy!), what kind of restaurant to go to (going all-out, staying on a budget, or finding something in between), what people wanted to do post-prom (crash at someone's house/cabin, have a bonfire, go to Denny's), and what kind of arrangement people wanted to make for pre-prom picture taking (because 20-30 couples worth of people in front of someone's lawn or in front of a stretch limo on the street just would not do).

In the end, the friends who filled out the questionnaire - along with their dates - gathered atop the parking garage at New Park Mall to take one large group shot. There must have been at least 30 couples easily. I was included because Adriel and Chris were both friends of Cyn. It takes a very organized person to get 60 people together at one place and direct them to pose for a picture. This kind of thing came easily to Cyn. It's like she could do it with minimal effort.

I didn't see Cyn much during the night, but just knowing she was there made it special for me. I do remember that I unknowingly took the necklace she was planning on wearing and she quickly found me on the garage rooftop and made the switch. It turned out for the better because the silver turtle necklace she had on matched perfectly with my dress. And she wasn't mad that I took the necklace, just relieved she found it in time.

My images of high school are all a blur now, being 11 years out and all, but it is nice to know a few memories still remain. I'm always happy when these moments include my big sister, Cyn.

thoughts of signs of new life

shared by Marlo R. Beall, her sister

Since Easter is one of those holidays that doesn't fall on the same day every year, it was sometimes hard to find a way to celebrate with family, especially while in college. Oftentimes Spring Break coincided with Holy Week, and sometimes it didn't.

I remember one Spring Quarter while Cindy was at UCLA and I was either in grad school or working, we decided at the very last minute to fly home for Easter. I have a couple of vivid memories of us driving home from campus discussing how we could go ahead and just go home, and then of us hopping on the computer to book our flights. I recall that it was one of those "why not?!" moments, when we heard ourselves saying that we wanted to go home, and then suddenly realizing that we should just do it.

When we were younger, my sisters and I would participate in the Children's Mass on Easter Sunday. We would either sing in the choir, be one of the readers, or even play a role in the Gospel reenactment. One of our favorite choir songs, I think it was called "Signs of New Life" or something close to that, was always fun to sing because it was sung in the repeat/echo style, and there were subtle hand gestures that went along with the lyrics.

A butterfly
An Easter egg
A fountain flowing in the park
These are signs of new life
The life of Jesus the Lord

And we sing to Him Alleluia
We give to Him our praise
And we sing to Him Alleluia
Glory be to Him
Glory be to Jesus the Lord

Every year I still break into this song at some point during Easter. My sisters and I will sing it together... loudly... laughing... giggling. I think rolling your hand up and down like mimicking water in a fountain is our favorite hand gesture. And like so many silly, wonderful, childhood memories, it makes us think of Cyn and smile while holding back tears.

thoughts of dancing in heaven

shared by Marlo R. Beall, her sister

This is one of my all-time favorite photos. Cindy is dancing with Andrew's dad, Grandpa Mike, on the restaurant patio at our wedding reception. I love everything about it...especially the fun-filled expressions on their faces and the fact that they really are dancing.

Grandpa Mike passed away in January 2005. At that time, it was comforting to think that Cindy was there to welcome him into heaven. Since then, whenever I see or think of this photo, I envision that this is one of the ways that Cindy and Grandpa Mike spend some of their time...having fun, just dancing in heaven.

Please click here and here, if you would like to view the photo collages that were posted at this time last year.