Stephanie Phillips was never a close friend to me, nor did I talk to her on a daily basis. In fact, I only really talked with her when she was my aerobics teacher. But she has still found a special place in my heart.
For the past three years she has been battling colon cancer. She was so strong and determined not to give up the fight.
She had coached Kickapoo Chief's Basketball for many years. This year she was able to lead the lady chiefs to many victories leading to the state championships. She was honored to be named Missouri State Coach of the year.
As a student I saw her in the hallways and could tell that she was not getting better. She was losing weight and not looking good, but she was still at school, still going, and happy to be there. I have been following a blog that a friend of hers has been writing (http://stephsgonnawin.blogspot.com/) and have read about the things she and her family have been doing to prepare themselves for the inevitable.
I received news of her death this evening, and although I have been expecting (but hoping otherwise) it still came as a shock. I am happy that she is not suffering anymore, but my heart still aches for her family, friends, and the fact that her life was cut short. I wish she could have pulled through and beat the cancer, but I guess she was needed somewhere else.
This is a beautiful post, Karee...so exactly what I was thinking myself. The service was lovely today. Long. Special.
ReplyDeleteI miss her so much and wish she was still here with us, everyday i wonder what it would've been like if she was still here.
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