“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise – in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” – Psalm 56:3-4
I thought these two teenagers in our gymnasium were going to lasso something, or maybe pretend to have a shootout. After all, why would they be wearing colorful cowboy and cowgirl outfits?
Instead, they began arguing while… singing?
My first exposure to a musical happened in my elementary school gym. Well, at least it was a song from a musical. Standing in front of dozens of little kids, two brave high school theatre students began singing Anything You Can Do (I Can Do Better) from Annie Get Your Gun.
It took a lot of guts for those teens to perform in front of seven-year-olds with fleeting attention spans, but they grabbed us from the first note.
Anything you can do, I can do better. I can do anything better than you.
No, you can’t.
Yes, I can.
No, you can’t!
Yes, I can! Yes, I can!
I was captivated by their performance, especially since I thrived on competition. P.E. class and recess were our daily opportunities to be Olympians. We were always seeing who could run the fastest, do the most pullups, and be the last boy standing in dodgeball. Or in one case, the last girl standing.
This beautiful blonde girl with long hair, Kelley Davis, could do anything the boys could do… and as the song goes, sometimes better. I remember being smitten with her while simultaneously resenting the fact that she could match me, athletically, in every way. I felt like Frank Butler after losing that shooting contest to Annie Oakley!
But although she was labeled a “tomboy,” Kelley was also the nicest and smartest kid in class. Her relaxed smile and kindness often made us forget how badly she just beat us on the playground. When I look back, she really was like Annie Oakley – breaking stereotypes and having the courage to be her very best self.
I moved away in the 6th grade, but thanks to the internet, I recently learned that Kelley became a star athlete in high school and college, was voted the homecoming queen, earned a degree in math and computer science, became a teacher, got married, and had three beautiful children.
I also learned that she died last year at the age of 45, following a 13-year battle with breast cancer. ‘No way,’ I thought. ‘Not Kelley.’ But it was no surprise to read that more than 4,000 visitors passed through the funeral home in Collinsville, Illinois.
A few years ago, when Kelly learned her cancer had returned, she wrote on her website, “I am getting my game face on and lacing up my shoes again. God brought us close to family and gave me nine more years to be a mama, wife, sister, daughter, aunt, teacher, coach and friend. We will continue with faith…”
That faith gave her the courage to fight cancer while also living with gratitude. Thank you, Kelley, for showing me how to “do life”… better.
Ed Doney, Staff Writer
