There are so many ways I can say this. Many could be taken the wrong way and others may make people cry, but I’d like to tell you this way.

On Monday, September 10 we had our routine fire drill, as most know. Nothing was out of the ordinary. A group of friends and I were introduced to a friend of ours Best Bud, Brenda Sanchez. Unfortunately, the next day we saw that friend in tears as she told us Brenda had passed away the night before. Brenda Sanchez was an AVAC that never let anything get her down. I may have only met her once, other than passing her in the hallway, but she made me smile that day. When I heard of her passing, my heart broke. It broke for her family, her friends, the peer trainers that knew her, her teachers, and anyone that she made smile.

A couple days after her passing on Thursday, September 20, Brenda’s teachers and the AVAC staff put together an event to release balloons. Many people attended including peer trainers, friends, family, and staff members. A note was attached to each balloon, which were handed out with a lovely poem that was laminated with two pictures of Brenda and a picture of a dragonfly. The poem read, “The dragonfly’s heart stays loyal and true. The dragonfly’s heart says I’ll never forget you,” and under the three pictures it said, “In loving memory of our beloved Brenda Sanchez.” The releasing of the balloons was both beautiful and colorful. Words and poems were shared about the young girl. As all tragedies these days have, something simply magical happened. Jackie Fiday and I walked back early from the ceremony because even though we did meet Brenda, we still felt like we were intruding and saw what you may or may not believe. We saw dragonflies, not just one, but about four or five of them just flying around us. I would like everyone to know that Brenda was there. She saw everyone getting together and she was smiling. She was showing herself, because so many people needed to see her one last time.