While walking on the campus of Le Moyne College last Sunday, I saw this bronze plaque with a poem in honor of a deceased student. The wording captured my interest.
Abby Bohnert ’19
Everyone’s friend.
Red lipstick and thick socks.
Giggles so loud they echo down the hall.
“She is Heaven and Hell’s love child.
Hold her. Name her poem.”
February 5, 1997 – August 8, 2016
A quick Google search shows that Abby died suddenly in 2016. And her mother passed away days later, making the story even more tragic.
I don’t have any wise words to share, except that Abby must have been a very special woman to be remembered with such a beautiful tribute on campus.
Francis DiClemente 
She loved Lemoyne , She loved life ,she is missed
Thank you for the comment.
Thank you for your kind words, they mean more than I can ever explain.
Thought you might like Abby’s Poem…
How to Love Yourself When No One Taught You How
By: Abby Bohnert
One.
Get naked. Not just your body but your soul too. Strip away the layers until you reach the core. Find yourself in your passions and your beliefs.
Two.
Travel. It doesn’t have to be across the world to be meaningful. Walk down a busy street and find a cafe. Order a drink and a
tart and watch. You’ll learn so much.
Three.
Fall in love. Fall for boys and girls and places that you have never known. But also fall in love with books and heroes. Fall for yourself. Fall for your self every day.
Four.
Stop holding back. Smash a mirror, do it and collect the shards to make something new. Do this to yourself too. Know that shards aren’t the end but only the beginning. You are allowed to be a little jagged and still be breathtaking.
Five.
Try something new every day. Eat chili cheese fries for the first time and then go to the skating rink. Go skydiving. Ride a mechanical bull. Stand in front of your mirror and tell yourself that you are beautiful. See the clouds in the white lines that stretch across your thighs and stomach.
Six.
Live.
Thank you for sharing that beautiful poem by Abby. I want to print it and tape it to my wall. I especially love the line, “Smash a mirror … and collect the shards to make something new.”