The Empty Chair

May 24, 2014….Graduation Day. A day Skylar had dreamed of for years, the day every high schooler longs for……freedom, that first jaunt into adulthood. Today I received the call I’d been dreading, graduation specifics. I can not even begin to tell you how much my heart crumbled after I hung up the phone. One more painful reminder of things we are missing on this earth without her. Skylar’s chair will be covered on that Saturday morning and a single rose will replace where she should be sitting. They will call Skylar’s name as they would if she were accepting the diploma herself, but instead we will accept it in her honor. That’s as good as it gets.

I certainly find myself asking God, especially lately with Sky’s senior prom and graduation fast approaching, how and why? How in His name am I suppose to survive the rest of my time on this earth without her?  Why, when she had so much more to do, to accomplish, to offer? Questions with no answers. I live in Sky-time now (such an accurate phrase coined by one of my closest friends). Everything that happens, has happened or will happen since Sky’s death is measured in Sky-time. I think that’s easy to understand why….life as we knew it changed forever at 12:41 am November 4, 2012. I’m no longer who I was nor will I ever be again. That goes without saying I assume.  But for many, especially those that have never experienced a loss such as this, I know it’s also easily forgotten.

I work very, very hard on Skylar’s Scholarship Fund. I do this because we have 2 things left of Skylar, our memories and her legacy. It’s that simple. I know as well as the next person, that memories fade. I’ll be damned if her legacy ever does. It doesn’t take much to realize what an amazing person Skylar was, even in her short 16 1/2 years on this earth, and I know that she changed lives while she was here and she’s changing lives from her forever home as well.  And our goal is that she changes lives with her scholarship fund as well. The Skylar Kooken Memorial Scholarship Funds’ mission is to help Skylar’s legacy live on through her peers as they continue their education and accomplish what Skylar no longer can. I ask for prayers and guidance as we grow this in her honor.

I also ask for prayers for all of Sky’s family on graduation day. I haven’t quite let myself go there mentally but I can only imagine what it will do to us all when we look at that empty chair….dear God the pain will be agonizing, that I am sure of.

Psalm 34:18 The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

Ways To Give:

In 2013 we established The Skylar Kooken Memorial Fund in which we award graduating seniors from Bellbrook High School $1,000 scholarships in Skylar’s memory. If you would like to contribute please see the link below for her PayPal account. If you would like to mail a check you can send to:

Bellbrook-Sugarcreek School – c/o Kevin Liming

3757 Upper Bellbrook Rd. Bellbrook, OH 45305

Checks should be made payable to: BSEF .

Skylar Kooken Fund must be written in the memo line.

EIN: 31-1751001 (for tax purposes)

To donate to The Skylar Kooken Memorial Scholarship Fund please visit:
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_donations&business=kkooken%40thegreene.com&lc=US&item_name=Skylar+Kooken+Memorial+Scholarship+Fund&item_number=032596&currency_code=USD&bn=PP-DonationsBF%3Abtn_donateCC_LG.gif%3ANonHosted

OR

https://livetogivehq.com/fundraiser/kelli-kooken-for-greene-county-community-foundation