This week, I give this space to a beloved youth once of our congregation. At St. Bart’s, we continue to process our grief over the loss of Zoe Howard. Natalie, a granddaughter of an active parishioner, now lives in another state but she has asked me to share this heartfelt letter with you:
Zoe was my best friend. Thank you for being hers too.
As new faces come to St. Bart’s, I acknowledge the fact that some might not know me. I was baptized at St. Bart’s as a baby and had gone there for up until the last three years. Every Sunday, my Grandma Mollie and I would get up early and go to church. I was known for waiting at the front stairs, while my grandma and the rest of the choir practiced, as I waited for Zoe and the other kids to arrive. One thing I will never forget about Zoe is her smile.
I remember the early days of when Zoe and I would play in the parish hall and run up through the kitchen to look at the playground from the cross up the hill. The smiles on our faces; the way our giggles would fill the air as we snuck around in the bushes before popping into the thrift shop. She was my best friend. She knew me better than I did and that’s all I could have ever asked for. I liked to think back on our time together when I was without company at school, and it still brings a smile to my face. Zoe’s passing has been hard for us all, especially those of us who knew her for almost forever, and I wish to say thank you. Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Howard for raising such a fun and authentic daughter. Thank you St. Bart’s for making her feel welcomed. Thank you to Sunday School for letting us have fun together. And thanks everybody else who got the honor of making her smile.
Natalie
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