“Too

often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word,

a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of

caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life

around.”  Leo Buscaglia

I first met

Tim and Niki Grady while volunteering with the

church.  I immediately liked them.  Niki

was easy going, cheerful and funny. However, I couldn't help but

notice she had a quiet sadness about her.  As she and

I became 'friends' on Facebook, I soon discovered where the sadness

came from.  Tim and Niki had

lost their 16 year old daughter, Caitlin Buemi,  in a

car accident in March 2010; just a year prior to our first

meeting.

I decided to

share their story because we all need a reminder of how quickly

life can change and how we should cherish every moment we have with

those we love. 

Tim and Niki

described Caitlin as having been a good student, very athletic,

active in cheerleading, cross country, soccer (was her favorite),

softball,  and track. Niki

and Caitlin were best friends.  Tim and Niki were

proud of how Caitlin had an unwavering faith in God that had a huge

impact on those around her.  She was a member of

Christian Life Church and seldom missed youth group. They explained

that Caitlin was not a "girly-girl."  She was most

comfortable in her sweat pants, t-shirt and her hair pulled up in a

pony-tail.   Caitlin was described as

funny and had a smile that was infectious.  In Tim's

words, "her smile - once you saw it, you would never forget

it."

They

described how Caitlin often said funny things without knowing

it.  In her dad's words, "She was very book-smart, but

lacked a little common sense."  Niki giggled at the

memory of one word she often heard coming from her daughter...the

word 'what'.  Tim and Niki

pleasantly recalled a time when Caitlin was upset with her

dad.  Caitlin, being very

serious, walked up to Tim and said "I have a button to pick with

you!" Both Tim and Niki burst out in laughter.  Niki

said, "Don't you mean...I have a bone to pick with

you?"  Still very serious,

Caitlin's reply was "What? What are you talking

about?"  Both Tim and Niki laughed at how clueless she

could be and yet so intelligent.

Sunday, March

7, 2010 was to be a special day for Tim and Niki. 

They were giving their testimony at church that morning and Niki's

parents were in town visiting from Maryland.  Caitlin

had spent the night at her friend's house.

At a little

before 9 a.m., Caitlin texted her mom to let her know she was

calling into work because she wanted to come hear her parents

testimony. Niki texted back saying she was glad she was

coming.  Caitlin usually attended Christian Life

Church - Orange Beach where her friends were, so Niki was very

excited to have Caitlin at church [Christian Life Church - Foley]

with her, Tim and Dalton (DJ), Caitlin's 10 year old brother.

A little

later, Niki received another text from Caitlin stating that her

boss really needed her to come into work.  Niki texted

back she was bummed and Caitlin returned with, me too. After that,

Niki received a final text saying, I'm sorry.  Niki

had no idea that would be the last communication with her

daughter.

As Niki

pulled into the church parking lot, she saw Officer Allisa Park

sitting in her patrol car. 

Niki visited with Allisa and told her that any time she was on duty

at the church and wanted to come in for coffee she was

welcome.  Allisa explained

that she was thankful for the offer, but she couldn't that day

because she had go on a call.  Niki would later learn

that the call Allisa was going on, was Caitlin's accident.

As Niki and

Tim were giving their testimony, Niki remembers saying "that the

one thing that impacted us the most with our faith was the fact

that him (Tim) and Caitlin connected so well after that (getting

saved)." Tim and Niki found out about the accident after church

because they had their phones turned off. When they turned their

phones on, there were numerous messages from everyone, including

the Foley Police asking them to call them back.  The

police department had been searching everywhere for Tim and Niki in

an effort to bring them to their daughter.

When Tim and

Niki arrived at the hospital, they were taken to a room where the

doctor explained that Caitlin was gone. Niki sat numb and Tim, in

shock,  ran out of the

room.  DJ and his

grandparents were outside the room waiting.  When Tim

came out, he told them what had happened.  DJ went

into the room with Niki and said "Mom, that was just her shell and

she is in a much better place." Both Tim and Niki believe that DJ's

strong belief in God helped him to be strong for his parents during

that time. "My son is what saved this family", Tim and Niki

said.

Many members

of Christian Life Church were at the hospital for Niki and her

family.  Todd Forrest, Tim

and Niki's pastor, drove them home and the church proceeded to take

care of them. The members of the church did everything for Tim and

Niki including bringing dinner, monetary donations and stocking the

house with groceries.  Tim

and Niki felt tremendously blessed at how giving the members were

and how much they did for them.  Niki declared, "That

church has done more for us than just a place to go. 

They saved us through Christ... God showed himself through

them."

Niki would

later learn that Caitlin had been up all night with her

girlfriends.  She was very

tired the next morning as she drove to work. She hadn't been

wearing her seat belt and was possibly using her phone. Witnesses

said she slowly veered off the road and hit a culvert and then a

telephone pole.

Tim and Niki

stated: "One thing that helps us get through every day is knowing

that Caitlin loved God. She tried to never miss church; we know she

is in heaven." 

After Caitlin

passed away, Tim and Niki decided to make a blanket for members of

the immediate family using Caitlin's t-shirts.  When

they began to gather the shirts, they laughed when they gathered a

total of 88 t-shirts, because she was always saying she had no

clothes.  Now, rather than having blankets for the

immediate family, they now had blankets for every member of the

family. 

Tim and Niki

would realize how many lives Caitlin touched on the day of the

wake. 1,800 kids came to the wake, not including

adults.  Tim and Niki hugged kids for 2 1/2 hours as

they made their way to the front.  And at the funeral

service, Tim and Niki requested an alter call... 200 kids walked up

to the front where there were youth pastors from other churches in

the county waiting to pray with them.

Caitlin Buemi

not only touched the lives of those around her during her life, but

continues even today. 

Shortly after Caitlin's funeral, Niki wanted to do something to

honor her daughter.  So, she

and a friend worked up a plan for a golf tournament. 

The November after Caitlin's passing, the first Caitlin Buemi Golf

Tournament was held in Caitlin's honor at Glen Lakes Golf

Course.  The tournament

earned $1,800 the first year and $4,400 the second

year.  This enabled them to

divide $5,000 in college scholarship money to five students.

This year

will be the third annual tournament.  Niki is hoping

to raise even more money this year so she can help more students

and continue in Caitlin's way of touching lives.

For more

information on how you can help raise scholarships by participating

in the 3rd Annual Caitlin Buemi Golf Tournament, contact Niki Grady

at NikiGrady2@hotmail.com.