Let me introduce you to Micael Claire Schmidt a.k.a. Mikey - (Claire is named after her middle name) This picture says it all:
This picture was taken in her Freshman piano class at ACU and I love it - her personality shins through. Mikey was a crazy girl! I'll never forget when I first met her. It was at a Marshall football game when we were in the 8th grade. It was at the beginning of November and she was with another friend of mine, Crystal. They were having a joint birthday party held at Northwest Church of Christ and invited me after we all huddled under a blanket cheering on the Rams! They were so sweet to include me after Mikey had just met me.
Mikey and I didn't go to the same middle school so we didn't see each other much after that until our first day of high school in the choir room. We became very close friends super fast. We went to dances, sang in concerts, auditioned together countless times, stalked our latest crushes, listened to The Cranberries and Green Day, went to Soul Quest, hung out at her house (ALWAYS at her house unless it was someone's birthday!), listened to each other when our hearts got broken, scrounged up change for taco Sunday at Taco Bell and had our share of spats to go along with it all.
Throughout our high school years, we became part of a group of 10 girls who were known as "the choir girls". We were close but didn't keep in touch as much as we should've when we went off to our separate colleges. That all changed when we got the call on Feb. 12th 1999, spring of our freshman year, that Mikey had died in a car accident on her way home from ACU for a funeral. I'll never forget all the details of that day and the feeling I had when Kate called. We were all in shock and disbelief. We had just gotten together over the Christmas break so how could this happen?
Needless to say, we all coped with it differently but I think that is why we all got better at staying in touch. This week will be the 10th anniversary of the accident which is hard to believe.
Mikey had a certain light about her - she loved the Lord and helped me a lot in my younger years as a Christian. She had this sort of confidence about her that amazes me as I look back and remember. It wasn't arrogance but she always seemed sure of herself and what she was doing. I know she had insecurities but this strength that she had was beyond her years. She always had an opinion and always seemed to know what she wanted. None of this wishy-washy stuff... Her long, dark hair and bright smile always so beautiful. She had the most perfect lips I've ever seen. Her top lip peaked just so - almost like a bow. She has this pure soprano voice that I could've listend to all day. Now, like I mentioned, we weren't always on the best of terms, just like sisters, but I always knew she'd be there for me. I wish I would've given her one last hug when I saw her the last time sitting in the blue chair at her parents house. She wasn't feeling well and we'd stayed up all night so it was just a quick see you later...
So Mikey is my Tuesday's Tribute because of how she has affected my life along with many others. Going through such tragedy at such a young age has certainly played a huge part in who I am today. I was SO angry at God and rebelled for a long time. That time of my life all the way until my Senior year of College were the hardest years for me but finding my way back to Him grew my faith. I know Neil and I are stronger people for all of it and we often wonder what she'd think about us two ending up together. Neil and I speak of her often and speak of death probably more than anyone I know. It's real and we've both been through it not just this once with our friends but a number of times since.
I pray that you take the time to give those you love a big hug and tell them exactly how you feel. You never know when it'll be the last one you get.
Here are some pics from high school. Not the best quality because they are old pics scanned and we weren't doing digital way back then!
Our freshman year at Mikey's house before the choir banquet. I went with her cousin Sean and she went with Clinton Haby!
Junior year prom - we both went with Seniors so got to hang out! She went with BJ and I went with Andy Wilson.
Senior year at the Madrigal Festival sipping coconuts
Mikey and I at the choir banquet our Senior year. She was VP and I was Pres. that year so we spent a lot of time organizing things - this was our last hoopla of the year with choir!
5 comments:
I would have never recognized you in that freshman picture.
What a sweet tribute. I didn't know Mikey, but I remember her death. It rocked Mrs. Becker's world. I believe Mickey was on dance team for a while. Andy speaks of her whenever he talks about his high school days.
That face of hers...so many memories, laughs and tears. I miss her smile and affectionate nature.
ok, so i'm bawling...phew...thank you SO much for sending this to me.
i thought of her all day yesterday, cannot believe it has been 10 years. i miss her so much it hurts. for a while there, i had dreams of her every night--they were SO real...she would have me laughing so hard in my sleep that i would wake up crying when i realized it was a dream and she was gone. i don't know if you have ever heard the story of how i found out, but it was incredible...maybe that will be MY blog post next tuesday! ;)
thanks for the tribute to tuesday and mikey. and btw, i know she is looking down and LOVING you and neil together! ;)
hugs!
suz
(i just realized all of my physical prints are still in waco with my folks...i'm going to have to get those the next time i visit, so i can work on a mikey post!)
Suz sent this to me,
You don't know me but Mikey was a great friend/cousin. We were cousins by marriage but to use we were family. She was very special to me and Suzanne on our many tips to Brackettville and when I go back there I go and visit her. This was a fantastic tribute and it was really great to see her smiling face. I have a collage of pictures of our trips to bracket, this makes me want to get them out and read all our many letters to each other. They are really funny to look back at. I miss her and think of her a lot. Thanks for this. It reminds me of what is important in life. You need that reminder every now and again.
Candice
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