God is Good

              Please forgive me if my last post was a little bit sappy and out of place. I was going through a bad moment and heard that it’s sometimes good to write someone you are missing a letter. I tried that and for a little while it worked. I wanted to take a minute and clarify a couple of things that maybe got misunderstood in my letter to Buggs. 

  I am not mad about the situation our family is in with the passing of Katie. I do not understand our Lords plan in all of this but that really doesn’t matter. My issue is that I miss my daughter and if I knew Gods plan it would not make me miss her any less. Everything we go through right now reminds us of her and what she would be doing during her senior year. The things the two of us shared during this time of year like football and holidays were very special to KK and I. 

  Our Heavenly Father is not punishing us for things we have done. He is not taking payment for sin or anything else in her life. From a spiritual standpoint God is rewarding Katie for a job well done here on earth. I know my baby heard “well done my good and faithful servant “on July 20, 2008 sometime around 10:35 am. While her stay here on earth was short in our eyes, comparatively to what God has planned for us, all of our stays on earth are short. She made a lifetime in her short 17 years. She never walked away from a challenge or never met someone she didn’t know. She laughed, cried, walked, ran, won beauty pageants, lost beauty pageants, stripe fished, Hunted, and did many more things. 

  God’s blessings have rained down on this family since that day. We have found new friends, grown closer to old ones, gotten a new perspective on the importance of worldly things and most importantly learned to take every moment God gives us. I am quick to read a book or play a game with Jackson or Andrew when before I might look for reasons not to. My boss is going to hate me but the after hours meetings and giving time to customers after work has ended. They are important to my livelihood but not my family life. 

  I would like to encourage all of you that think we have been let down or how God could let something like this happen to someone like Katie, to read what the Bible says about heaven. Katie was not punished by God. He was not asleep at the wheel. This was not a punishment. It didn’t just happen from Bad luck. God knew before KK took her first breath when she would take her last one. He knew that the vehicle she was riding in was going to flip and land on her side no matter what side of the car she was sitting on. The only thing he didn’t have a hand in was that when she was a teenager she was going to make a choice that Jesus was her Lord and Savior. That she was going to live for him and the Glory of his kingdom. That her ultimate goal was to somehow glorify God. I think she got acknowledgement that she reached that Goal on July 20^th when he said those seven little words to her in heaven. 

  Daddy loves you baby. Congratulations on a job well done.

update

               It has been three months since you left. I find I am missing you more each and every day. People have told me that time would make it easier, but that just hasn’t been true. There have been many things going on since the worst day of my life. Your Rockets are 3-4. Bama is on an incredible tear. Blakely got Homecoming Queen. We are all making it through the day any way we can. 

   You would be so proud of the GHS football team. They have taken the fight to everyone they have played. There has been no evidence of backing down or being intimidated by anyone. Conner has played well and Trey has been amazing. Timothy, Bobby, and Lawson are making plays all over the field. When we won our first game against Oak Mountain, the players and cheerleaders all ran over to the band. They were dancing and singing and they all pointed to the sky for you. Baby, you are not forgotten 

   Saban has gotten the Tide off to a 6-0 start. We beat Clemson in Atlanta  and then tore Georgia up a few weeks later at their place. Right now we are ranked 2^nd in the polls. If we keep winning we will possibly play in the National Championship in Miami. Carli, Katie, Mollie, and Josh have been going to the games with your tickets. Shelley and I have been to a couple but it just don’t feel the same. It seems like all I can think about when they win is how happy you would be. 

  Homecoming 2008 was almost like you picked the Homecoming court. Blakely won and the senior Reps were Katie, Mollie, Carli, and Natalie. They all looked very pretty. Cassie got to crown the winner. We all took pictures before they left and I even got some with Andrew and the girls. 

   Shelley is going to have you a little sister. We found out last week. I know you always said you wanted to be the only girl but I know Buggs, that you would have spoiled a little sister to death. We are going to name her Jamison. I hope she has your spirit and determination. I hope she is not as pretty though because I don’t want to have to worry about the boys….Just kidding. 

   Andrew is doing well in school. He has had a super year in football. He has your competitiveness after all. Seems like every week he has the biggest kid on the other team on him. Jack is learning well and after he got into trouble the first two days things have settled down. He misses you but thinks its really cool that you are in Heaven with Jesus. Giggy and Pop call and come by all the time. They are worried about us and they miss you terribly. You have had an article in the Birmingham news and your marker has been put in. It has all the people you love on it. Josh is down at Montevallo and his room is one big Katie collage. 

   That leaves me. I never knew anything could hurt so bad. I regret every moment of your life that I didn’t spend with you. I wish I could get on you about a shirt or phone bill or coming in late. I think back to every special moment, the ballgames, stripe fishing, beauty pageants, tryouts, and just wish we could have one more. There is not 1 minute in a day that I don’t think about you. You taught me what love was. I never knew until you were born how much a man could love. I am so sorry that I couldn’t help you that day. I will never ever be able to get over that. I always promised I would protect you and in that, I let you down. I promise you this KK, no daddy ever loved a daughter more and one day we will be together again. I love you baby. 

Daddy

Finally Over

  It’s finally over. 337 to 363 were the final numbers in the Ward 2 runoff. What does all this mean? Where do I go from here? Guys, as I am now 1 day out from the end of the election, I think I have a good answer for both questions. 

  Gary Morris beating me in the election tells me that this was Gods plan all along. Gary really is the better choice for this position. The times that are coming up are critical to our city and his knowledge and experience will be needed. Someone will soon be made council President and he would be a safe choice for that position. He did many things in our campaign that were very respectful of my family and our situation and to him I will always be grateful for that. I believe we will see the best possible Gary Morris in the four years to come and I believe this campaign has assured that. Congratulations Gary and Gardendale for making the right choice. 

  My future now is much clearer. I believe my heavenly Father put me in this election to keep my mind of Katie as much as possible. Her friends and their families were very important in my campaign efforts and this gave us time to be together to grieve and focus our energies to something positive. I still sit at home or in my truck and cry three to four times a day but now, 10 weeks later, I know I will get through this because I can not because I have to. I am going to continue to go to council meetings. I am going to be a cheerleader as opposed to a problem maker. I encourage everyone to do the same in the comings months. There will be hard decisions that have to be made so lets trust the people we have elected to make the right ones. They are very capable and gifted people. 

  There are so many people I need to thank: Greg Maxwell, Jeff Powell, Janet Mitchell, Dianne Ragland, Cindy Mars, The 2009 Cheerleaders especially the Super6, Erika England, Jeff Dennis, McGruder, Oscar Mann, Othell Phillips, Dennis Gamble, Jerome Cantrell, Tammy Sutton. That’s just the tip of the Iceberg, and please if I left someone out its not because I am not appreciative. These people did not necessarily support me against my opponent, they were just supportive of me in a very trying time in my life. Last but not least my dear family who took every step with me. 

Mike “Buckett” Burkett

Thanks Gardendale

  It is now less than a week until the 2008 runoff elections. I have no idea how things will turn out but I do know that I have learned many things about Gardendale and the people that live here. Many of you now know me on a more personnel level. Many topics that have been on our minds and in our hearts have been brought out and discussed. Last but not least there will be change in our city government for the first time in many years. 

  The people that live in our little paradise are mostly wonderful people. Gardendale still has a “Mayberry” feel to it. When things go wrong for people our neighbors rally for each other in a remarkable way. There is a comradarie between people here. We are loyal to our friends through thick and thin. Many people rally to the defense of their friends with a passion and go after the other guy with the same zeal. It seems we have that I can talk about my friend but you better leave him alone attitude that has made the south great for many years. 

  Our family has become very transparent due to the accident and my bid for council. We have developed new friendships and renewed many old ones. The way you guys have loved on us and prayed for us has been remarkable through a time of great sadness. I will forever appreciate the way you guys have rallied to our needs. I know now why Katie always had that smile on her face. She loved hard and received that same love in return. 

  For the first time in a long time, we actually have an election. Normally it has been whichever good ole boy got picked to follow whichever good ole boy was leaving. A select few picked a select few. This year we have many different people from many backgrounds running for office. This will bring diversity to the council and will also let the councilman know they can no longer get by on their names alone. The city is in a state of crisis financially and it will take a tremendous amount of teamwork to pull us out of our dilemma. 

  I ask each one of you to do as I am going to do after Tuesday’s election. I am going to back the elected winners and offer them my services whenever needed. I will not sit behind a computer and bad mouth any of them because frankly, I am not any better than any of them. I am going to respect the electorial process and give these guys an opportunity to do the jobs we have elected them to do. Most of all I am going to be thankful that I live in such a great place with so many wonderful people. 

  I would like to thank Gary Morris, Tim Clayton, and Joe Jones for the way our election has gone. They have been very respectful to me and my family and have all stepped up to help us in our grief. They campaigned with class and dignity. I am lucky to now have Tim and Gary as friends. I feel like Gardendale is getting a winner whether I win or lose and I thank Gary for all he has done for our city. 

  I am going to say one more time folks, Thank you so very much for the love and prayers through the last weeks. You will never know how much you have meant to me and my family. I pray none of you ever go through what we have went through, but if you do feel free to call and I will do anything I can. Please continue to remember us this week with it being homecoming. It will be tough but with the help of the lord and prayers we will make it through it 

God Bless You, 

Mike Burkett