Today I finally worked up the courage to close out Amanda's bank account. It was getting hard to get those monthly reminders that I had yet one more thing left to do.
Something you need to know about Amanda is that she LOVED having a bank account because she LOVED money. She was so excited that Bank of America would allow her to have a debit card connected to her account at 14, instead of having to wait until she was 16. She has the Judd's to help thank for her ability to qualify. They would have her come out to Utah each summer and she would work for them selling anything that glows at special events, truck rallies, and fairs. She also babysat their boys on the days that Mandy J. would work part time. She made quite a bit of money during those summers, and while she did her best to spend most of it buying new clothes, she also came home with a few hundred dollars each time to put in the bank. The day she and I went to open her account, she explained to the bank officer that she was good at saving money during the summer and wanted a safe place to keep it. The bank officer smiled at the confident young lady in front of her and agreed to wave the age limit. From that day on, anytime Amanda had a few extra dollars in her pocket, she would ask if we could go to the bank so she could put it in her account. If the ATM would have accepted change, that would have gone in there too. Every time we would go to the bank she would count out her money, including her change, and then ask me if I wanted to add some to her fund. Before getting out of the car, she would say, "I'll give you my .63 cents (or whatever change she had dangling in her pocket) if you give me a dollar." I would always laugh and give her the dollar, even though I always let her keep her change.
So, as you can imagine, today's task was not an easy one for me. Pulling Amanda's death certificate out of my hope chest where some of my dreams stay tucked away was difficult. Explaining why I needed to close the account and filling out the forms was hard too. But more than anything, I felt like I was closing out a part of her and I just didn't want to do that. I've given a lot of thought as to what I would do with the amount that was in Mandy's account. It really wasn't much because this summer she didn't go to Utah like she usually does, so her funds were running low. Still... I had to ask myself, "Do I give it to her sisters or buy one of her friends something?" I kept thinking about what she would want me to do. Then, as the bank teller was handing me over her money, a total of $26.80, it hit me.
I collected her money and started across the street to Citibank, where we opened Amanda's non-profit foundation account (AKA Amanda Panda Foundation). As I was walking across the street, I heard Mandy's smiling voice in my head teasing me saying "Mom, I'll give you my .80 cents if you give me a dollar to make it even." So that's what I did. I spotted her the dollar and put the money in the ATM, just like she would have done. Yes... it was hard, but I realized her interests have changed too and though I closed out the old account, I helped her invest in something even more important. Saving lives. Together... we are investing in each of you. Know that you are all loved beyond measure.
Live wisely... and always Choose The Right.
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