When Glenn and I first moved to Hillsboro, I became the Visiting Teacher of a wonderful woman named Cindy Givins. A few months later, we became Visiting Teaching Partners. Cindy was a nurse, and we had lots in common. We quickly became friends, and she helped me feel comfortable in our new ward.
Years later, we were now in separate wards, and we rarely saw one another, but I still considered us friends. We kept updated on each others lives through Facebook and the occasional greeting at church. I was sad for her when she got divorced. I was happy for her when she found a new man friend. I was thrilled for her when she got her dream job and started to plan a move to Las Vegas next month. I know she loves it there, and has a loved sister already living there. What a great opportunity for her and her three kids to start over. So imagine my shock today when I discovered on Facebook that she was gone!
At first I didn't realize it was Cindy who had been killed. I saw a post that made me think Cindy had lost a member of her family. As I have met many of her family members, I went to her wall to see who it was. Then to find out that Cindy had been beaten and stabbed multiple times by her ex-husband last night brought instant tears to my eyes. I quickly search out the story on KPTV.com and read that last night, while her children were sleeping in their beds, her ex-husband had done this heinous act, and then drove to Banks and killed himself on the side of the road. Cindy was still alive when he left, and was able to call 911, telling them her ex-husband had attacked and stabbed her, but by the time they got there she was gone.
I have never know someone who was brutally killed. I did not know that a year ago Cindy got a restraining order against the man she once loved. Throughout the last few years, she always had a kind word and appeared cheerful. She obviously loved her children and was providing the best home for them that she could. She was moving on with her life. We will never know what set her ex-husband off, or what was said in that last meeting to cause this to happen. Those poor children will never have their parents back and will have this legacy to deal with. I am so happy to know that they are blessed with their extended family, who will be there for them each and every step of the way. But nothing can ever replace a parent, or erase the violence that they were taken in. My heart and prayers go out to this family. I will miss Cindy, and seeing her updates and photos that she shared. I was happy to call her friend, and even though I did not see her often, I will miss her.
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