Loss.

About 2 years ago, my wife and kids went on a nighttime exploration down by a lake nearby. A friend was in town and they thought it would be fun to venture out with flashlights and see what lurked once the sun had retreated to the other side of the globe.

What they found was a telling tribute that all these years had been undiscovered by us no matter how many times we had passed it.

Along the “banks” of Lake Ellyn are tributes to lost ones; most I would assume are friends or family members---perhaps a pet or two are included. I really don’t’ know for sure. But there is one tribute that stands out amongst them; it’s in honor of Jennifer Mills, a young woman who left us way too early in her life. Judging by the listed years she was 18.

A small bush and bench are all that you see when you approach the tribute. Once there you see it come to life with fairies, pixies and other remembrances of a life cut way too short. Even though I tried to learn more about Jennifer, there was little to be found.

Until.

I was at a Milwaukee Bucks basketball game this past March and received an e-mail from a young man who knew Jennifer. He had somehow found a blog I had written a while back---after reading it he contacted me. He said he “Googles” Jennifer’s name several times a year. He wrote me and asked where the dedication was located as he had been searching for it  since he learned of her passing several years ago. He had tried to contact her parents but they were not giving any information on her passing. I have no idea, and I was not going to find out why, as this is obviously something very painful for them.

Needless to say I was shocked when I received this e-mail nearly 3 months after it had been written. What I learned was not a lot more, but apparently she had died after graduating from our local high school, and the parents felt a tribute was the best way to preserve her memories. I was told, “Jen was a very nice girl, and she was someone who got along with people and had a lot of friends.” There was little more he shared except asking where the tribute was located? I described it as it is relatively easy to find if you know where to look. (He found it.)

Life can be very interesting; you go about thinking everything is on cruise control and in a matter of a split second the brakes have been slammed and you skid to a stop. If anything, this makes you stop what you are doing and realize you need to appreciate all life has to offer.

The photo above was taken Sunday at a photo shoot down by the lake. I was talking to the high school senior I was photographing about this tribute. I asked, “Would you like to see it?” She said, “Of course.” We both were quiet as we stood absorbing Jennifer’s tribute. With a letter “J” in the grasp of this lone bear---for me it symbolizes the need to hold on tight to the ones you love because you never know when you will be letting go.

Thanks for stopping by.