R.A.D.I.C.A.L. Thoughts
“Kim Townsend: January 10, 1950 – April 5, 2008”
Kim’s memorial service was in Kansas City last night. I first met Kim about a year ago when a mutual friend suggested we get together. Kim had been divorced a length of time and had left New Hampshire to come back to Kansas City where her family lives. She was in career transition and looking for a new passion. She had always had the passion to show women the importance of staying fit and taking care of your body. She was a Jazzercise franchise owner for years and she loved to dance. However, she wanted a different challenge, and she was intrigued by my midlife divorce recovery work. She was excited about it and encouraging from day one. She wanted to be a part of it. At a boot camp in January, she had just learned about her diagnosis of cancer, yet still was determined to be a part of the program. She had a friend from the Jazzercise program here do the exercise part of the program. Kim did a presentation on “The connection of looking good and feeling good.” “Never go out looking like you don’t care about yourself. Put on a little lipstick even if you’re just running to the grocery store,” she said. “You never know who you’ll run into!” She was close to six feet tall and had long, thin legs and blonde hair. She was beautiful and confident. She made everyone in the room that day at the Midlife Divorce Recovery Boot Camp feel more confident, too! Not only did she present that day, but she had also convinced Macy’s where she was working to give her some special gifts to give each attendee. Perfume, lipstick, eye shadow, little red billfolds, make-up pouches. She went the extra mile. Her disease was quick, but she was feisty and upbeat and encouraging through it all from what I hear. The friend of hers from Jazzercise who presented at the boot camp brought Kim roses, and she had the florist put a different color of lipstick sticking out of the middle of every rose. “You never know who you’ll meet,” she said. Let's all make sure we put on some lipstick today. Be proud of who you are. Care about yourself and how you look. That will make Kim smile!
“ We, too wait anxiously for that day when God will give us our full rights as his children, including the new bodies he has promised us—bodies that will never be sick again and will never die.” ~ Romans 8:23B (The Living Bible)
