My Friend Kayla

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A guest post by Nancy Pantellas....



My sweet friend Kayla has moved to Massachusetts this summer, and I miss her so much. We have been friends for a number of years now. Kayla and I first met when she came out to our Young Life Capernaum club. I remember taking her and some of her friends to their first high school football game. We sat in the bleachers and had hot chocolate and cheered on the Valencia Vikings. From then on, we experienced many YL Capernaum clubs and camps together, many Special Olympics events, many birthday parties, movies, etc.If anyone knows Kayla, they know that she gives the most amazing hugs. To know Kayla is to have been hugged by her. Her hugs are long and cozy and warm  


and full of love. Kayla is not in a hurry, and that is what is actually the best thing about her hugs. She makes me stop and live very presently and very fully in the moment. At bedtime at Young Life camp, Kayla would go around the cabin and hug each camper and leader before going to bed. It was just simply her way of saying good night. All of our hearts were touched by this precious gesture.

 Last October 24th, my husband, John, and I were busy preparing for our annual YL Capernaum Halloween Dance. It is one of my favorite nights of the year, because our friends wear the most wonderful costumes and dance the night away. It is a night of sheer JOY! We usually host about 100 of our friends plus many volunteer leaders, family members, and church life groups who help out. In the middle of the day we received a phone call from one of our leaders, letting us know the tragic news that Kayla’s dad had just had a sudden heart attack and passed away. My husband and I both fell into many tears as this news settled into our hearts. In the weeks that followed, there were many visits and hugs. Kayla’s mom asked us to help her with the celebration of her husband’s life. He was a dearly devoted family man, and a dearly loved co-worker and community member.

At one of our next YL Capernaum clubs, Kayla arrived and gave me her usual long and warm and cozy hug. She whispered something in my ear. With tears in her eyes, she whispered, “You know.” And then she hugged me even tighter and longer. For a moment, I was pondering what she meant. Then like a wave on the ocean, the meaning of this whispered message, along with my own tears, rolled in upon my heart. Two years earlier almost to the day, my own father had died of a sudden heart attack. That year as I had showed up to our annual Halloween Dance, it was Kayla’s hug and a whispered, “I’m sorry for you about your dad,” that deeply comforted my heart in my most tragic moment. Now she was experiencing the same pain and grief and sadness, and she knew that I knew how she felt. It was simple and profound: two friends comforting each other in the deep heartaches of life.

I am so thankful that Kayla joined us for camp one last time this last summer. One night, as we were getting ready for bed, she hugged me and whispered, “I wish this hug would last forever.” And I whispered back, “So do I.” 

We miss you sweet Kayla!

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