Forever 19

Forever 19 by Kaye S. Beechum is  a mother’s and family’s way of coping with the untimely death of their beloved Cheryl Jean. Cheryl was only nineteen when a car accident occurred out of nowhere while she was running errands on her lunch break. In 1984 things like cell phones and the internet were not around so communication was a lot harder. Kaye had to try to contact family in a pre-tech world to let them know Cheryl was hurt. The memories of the week Cheryl was in the hospital are described as a fog with people coming and going. The book details memories that the family holds onto. From her love of cats and hiking to her ambitions in acting and passion for helping others. How do you deal with the death of your child or sister? To everyone that answer is different. There is no right or wrong way to go through this difficult time in life. There is no time line on grieving either. Cheryl died back in August of 1984. Her family waited over thirty years to put together this tribute. Her memory lived on over the years through the telling of stories, teaching younger members about her spirit, and even setting a place for her at family dinners on the holidays. she was never forgotten or pushed to the back of their minds.

It was very important for me to write this book so the world could see what a wonderful person my daughter was and even after all the years since her death it helped me find closure. It also was her final legacy.

I also wanted to help others who have suffered such a loss. It is difficult, however, to give advice to anyone who has lost a loved one, especially  a child. Every circumstance is different and every one mourns differently. The best I can say is pray for guidance, maybe get therapy if that might help but most of all just get up every morning and put one foot in front of the other and face the day. They say “Time heals all wounds” and in a sense it is true. The pain never really goes away but it does subside. Just like a serious physical injury there is usually a scar left as a reminder. I often ask myself,  “Would Cheryl be proud of me and how I have survived?” When the answer is, ” I think so” then I am encouraged to get on with my life.