He was Kyle.

Kyle Sonneman died last Saturday.  He went to sleep and never saw morning.  He was 28 years old.

Kyle was born premature and with many physical issues.  His heart was not right and some of his motor functions were not right.  We first prayed for him to survive his birth.  We then prayed for him to survive the year.

Each year during our church’s “Live Nativity” all of the children would gather for the 5:00 pm Family Christmas Eve Service (read children are welcome!) and each play a role in the Christmas Story, complete with costumes.  It was not planned or rehearsed…just chaotic enough to have great energy and excitement.  Each year I would watch Kyle in his exuberance and wonder if we would see his sweet face next year.

Kyle could smile.  Kyle had several surgeries on his heart.  He would come to Sunday School and proudly show off his newest set of scars.  At one point he used crutches to support what his legs could not.  His physical condition was never a constant, sometimes up and sometimes down but his smile was as steady and reliable as the sunrise in the morning.

Kyle could sing.  As Kyle matured, his limitations diminished.  As he entered high school, his beautiful voice had developed into a great vocalist.  He was active in vocal music, both in church and school. I remember him specifically in Godspel.  My daughter Meagan sang the lead parts in Freedom Fanatics, a musical performed by the youth choir at church and my favorite memory is not of Meagan…but Kyle dancing with such joy and abandon.

Kyle lived in service.  Kyle served on countless youth mission trips in high school and as a counselor for those mission trips as a college student and an adult.  He taught in the special education department for a local junior high school and served as a church youth director.  His deep faith and jubilant message to youth was so authentic that his influence was effective,  heart felt and long lived.  I was struck by the fact that these youth had no idea that Kyle had ever had any limitations at all.

Kyle could write.  Kyle’s great love  of poetry led him to  active membership in the Poet Writer’s Circle.  There are many who were lucky recipients and/or subjects of his work.  Much of his writing reflected the struggles of a boy growing into a man…and a person addressing the pain and joys of his faith journey.

Kyle loved movies.  Any kind of movies.  He was an active member of the Traverse City Film Festival, serving as a manager for the past two years. ..I was fortunate to be on his team.

Kyle was funny.  From my first recollection of him as a young boy through to my last “chat” with him two weeks ago there was a theme of lightheartedness and humor constant…he simply loved to make people laugh! 

All of the above describe what Kyle filled his life with.  He loved people and they loved him.  My greatest lesson learned from Kyle was to live fully, with joy-filled abandon, throwing caution to the wind and not looking forward or back.  Kyle could have felt limited by his physical impairments.  He could have been angry  that he would never be a track star, football player or downhill skier.  Kyle’s life was never about what he could not do, but only about all of the amazing things that he could do.  He lived more in 28 years than most of us could live in 10 lifetimes.  He has touched me deeply and permanently and I feel honored and blessed to have had him in my life.

Jacquie