September's Story

I feel like I have written a few blog posts in honour of friends who have passed and sadly I have another. This one is close to my heart and has been percolating for a few days now. It feels sacred somehow and I'm not entirely sure I want to share it just yet so if you read know that for all the missing details and possibly inaccurate ones this is my narrative on what has easily been one of the most abstract and yet important friendships my grown up life.

Long ago when the Internet was new, there existed these strange things called message boards where you interacted with complete strangers using whatever pseudonym you desired. I don't even remember how I stumbled across the Steven Curtis Chapman fan boards but I did. We were a grand group of strangers who became friends. There were so many of us. One of the younger ones started a community we fondly called Chapmanville and many of us moved in and claimed residency with fictitious jobs and so much more. It was a virtual world of innocent make believe in a much simpler time. In other forums, we discussed theology, music, shared prayer requests and shared much of our lives with each other. Many would meet in real life at Steven Curtis Chapman concerts and other festivals. But Chapmanville was special... Even Steven's wife and manager took up residence there for awhile much to our delight. There was a certain silliness that created lifelong bonds. It's there, in Chapmanville that I truly met September.
I had packed up and moved into my imaginary home in Chapmanville and claimed the job of librarian. It wasn't long before I got a private message saying "I know it's silly but I'm a real librarian and so could I please be one here too?" September and I became fast friends and shared many a conversation in private messages, backed each other in board arguments... I mean discussions and soon discovered how close we lived to one another. I was able to meet her for the first time way back in 2004. We have visited several times since but not often enough now that I know how this story ends.

Anyway at some point a group of 9 of us created an email circle... we dropped the pseudonyms and got to know each other- Amy, Carmel, Trish, Carrie, September, Ruthie, Sherry, Christy and me. Everyone knew at least one other person in the group or would eventually ;) We emailed a lot and to this day we stay in touch through Facebook. We nicknamed ourselves The Chappettes. :) We have shared with and prayed for each other through all kinds of circumstances, good and sad, confusing and profound... These ladies are truly my sisters even though I have only 'actually' met September and Ruthie. Amy and I will meet one day though... count on it :)
As Facebook took over the Internet and the message boards died, small groups of us stayed connected but it wasn't until our dear Amy lost her Dillon that our group organized a private FB page for all the old SCC Boardies so we could come together and pray Amy and her little boy E through their devastating loss. Through this time the 9 of us Chappettes truly bonded together again as we walked with Amy. Little did we know that it wouldn't be so very long until we had to walk each other through the loss of one of our own.

In Nov of 2014, September was diagnosed with cancer and over the next year would go through treatments, stem cell transplant and more, only to be told in Nov of 2015 that her double hit lymphoma was no longer treatable. I was teaching Sunday School when the Facebook message from my dear #9 came in. She told me that her journey HOME was beginning. I swear my world stopped for a moment. I cried all they way through church as I processed the news. I have lost many friends in many ways but never had I felt sucker-punched like this.

September was in the hospital by New Year's Eve, dying already. How was that even possible? Aggressive cancer or not... how could she be dying? I will be forever grateful that her husband, Josh reached out this new years eve night, it was and will always be a gift.

On Monday Jan 3, I was up early so we could drive home from Winnipeg, after dropping Anna of for her winter semester, so Bobby could get to work by early afternoon. I got a call from September's husband around 1030am saying that if I could today would be a good day to come and say goodbye. So we got home around 1:00pm and by 2:00pm I was Davidson bound. I arrived at the health care centre at 530 that evening and surprised September. "Oh you came" she said "It's so good to see you." I could barely take my eyes off of her... not because of how drastically thin she was but because she was still so beautiful. The kindness in her eyes was captivating as always. I spent longer than I probably should have and eventually Josh said he hated to do it but it was time for me to go. Our final words of good bye were short but oh so precious. I wanted to hold onto her for much longer. I can't even begin to imagine how her husband and family feel.

I sat in my car in the parking lot and cried and then I sent a message to our little SCC family. They had been praying for September, her family and me all day and I had done my best to share their love with her. We had carried each other through that day and would the ones to come as we waited for the news that was inevitable. One night we had an online prayer meeting as we prayed our sweet sister to heaven or just through the night... we didn't know which it would be but the communion was sweet and I know that God ministered to September that night through the honest, heartfelt prayers from our gang.

I wish I could adequately explain how important this Internet community is to me, from it's humble beginnings 15 years ago to the group we are as we share in this unbelievably painful loss. As I told September as we said good by, we know we are never alone.

On Sunday Jan 10, September passed into the arms of Jesus and our community cried together as we mourned the loss of one of the best of us. For to each of us September had been either a mother figure, a voice of reason, a mentor or so much more but to all of us a friend and sister in Christ. As the tributes roll in, it is evident to see that September had a much larger influence that she could ever have imagined. When I travel to her funeral I will carry as much of the love from our crew as I am able and will share the day with them however I am able. 

What I know about her is this... She loved and she was loved. She loved her kids and her precious grand babies to the moon and back. She loved her husband of 6.5 years Josh with the kind of love many dream about. (They met on the SCC boards by the way- true story) He would have done anything for her. She was able to look past the surface, the bluff and bravado to the heart of who people were. She was fiercely protective of those she cared about and was quick to fight for the rights of those who were denied them. She loved to play word games, we used to play online scrabble a lot! She loved music and was quick to introduce us all to new music. For many of us our new favourites came by her recommendation. I will miss her messages and words of encouragement more than I can ever say. She was my friend and I will miss her so very much.


Rest Easy in the arms of Jesus Sweet #9. You loved and you were loved, you were a God Follower  You fought the good fight and listened to some great music along the way. You read a lot of books and invested in those around you. You made a difference just by loving those around you and looking past the surface. That, my friends is a life well lived and a story worth listening to.