Kristy grew up in my Ward. Some of my children are the same ages of the Palizzi kids. My son is a year younger than Kristy. Before my son got his driver's license Kristy drove him and another boy to earlier morning seminary. They boys would complain that Kristy would be singing wide awake every morning to the radio. They were hoping to get a few moments of rest on the drive down to the church building but no such luck. Tonight my son and his wife were visiting me. His wife asked if he had any experience with Kristy being so frank. He said yes, she told someone that he would be cute, if his ears didn't stick out, if his eyes weren't so small and his nose wasn't so big. He did finally grow into his face we are happy to say. And we all know that girls don't usually think the boys in their own ward are cute. My husband was also one of Kristy's Bishops. One summer our Stake had a youth activity. It was a backpack trek. When the youth were getting divided up into groups she was put in my husband's group. She walked to her group and looked at my husband and said, "Oh great, we have Bishop Push". My husband was the former scout leader and was famous for his killer hikes. He said it was the longest he ever heard her go without speaking. There were some very step trails with some of the most amazing views and she was taking it all in. During a night hike all the youth and leaders hiking in a line holding hands. It was pitch black. Kristy had a hold of my husband's hand and she told him, I know when we are on the trail, it is smooth and quiet but as soon as we go off the trail it gets loud and branches are breaking around us. So it is with our lives. After the Washington Memorial we had a luncheon that hundreds stayed for, neighbors, teachers, school friends, church friends, everyone who's life Kristy had touched. The church was filled with hundreds that care and love the Palizzi family. I thought of Bishop Richard C. Edgley's talk from last conference, "What happens to one happens to all. We endure together. May we be an instrument in lightening the burden of others"
Leslie