Birdsong's Law Blog

Birdsong and his family are all of heavy heart on this day, September 20.  It was one year ago today that our beloved daughter, Krystal Birdsong, passed away.  We all loved her and miss her so much.  Birdsong has taken to postings some of her writings on this blog in her memory.  We found much of her writings in her “journals” when we went through her personal effects after her passing.  Krystal loved living in Miami and attending Barry University (BU) – she had just obtained her B.S. degree there a few months before her passing.  Here is  a post she wrote in her journal near the end of her first semester at the school.  It reminds us so much of Krystal….

Birdsong’s daughter Krystal was a good writer.  She wrote for both her high school and college newspaper.  In going through her personal effects after her passing we found found her journals in which we found drafts of some her articles.  This one was written for the Barry U newspaper and was about a forum speaker and her book.

Lena Williams & the Racial Divide

If you missed Lena Williams’ lecture entitled “It’s the Little Things: Everyday Interactions That Anger, Annoy, and Divide the Races,” named after her new book, you missed a fun, energetic, and socially conscious forum with a timely and inspiring message.  Luckily, BU’s Buccaneer is here to fill you in.

The forum, which was a lecture accompanied by a role-playing panel of students, was put  on by Barry’s Office

Birdsong has received  many  cards, flowers, and expressions of condolence from his current and former students over the loss of his daughter Krystal.  Birdsong wishes to thank all of those who have expressed their sympathy for our family’s loss.  One of the most heartfelt expressions has come in a poem written by Robert Witt, a 3L Barry Law student who is one of Birdsong’s former criminal law students.  Birdsong wishes to share it with all of you.  Enjoy.

Imagine

By Rob Witt

I can’t imagine the pain you must feel,

From the love to the rage,

Your emotions must reel.

A Funeral Mass was held  on Saturday, September 27, 2008, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Orlando for Birdsong’s daughter, Krystal.   Birdsong and his family wish to thank all of the students, friends and colleagues who attended the service and/or sent flowers or other expressions of sympathy, including food for our family at our time of grief.

For those who were unable to attend the service, Birdsong has included herewith the Remembrance of Krystal,  read by our priest at the service:

REMEMBRANCE

            Krystal Shara Birdsong was born on September 25, 1982, in Washington, D.C.from the union of Leonard Birdsong and Senayte Bezabih.  She began her schooling at Frau Erbe’s Kindergarten in Hamburg, Germany where her parents were stationed with the U.S. State Department.  She then attended Hamburg’s International School. During her parents’ next assignment, she attended the St. Andrew School in Nassau, Bahamas. After her parents returned to the United States, Krystal graduated from the Chevy Chase Elementary School and in 2000, graduated from Watkins Mill High School in Montgomery County, Maryland.

A number of  Barry law students wish to know more about Birdsong’s daughter Krystal who passed away on September 20, 2008.  Below is a link to the Barry University online story about Krystal containing her photograph:

http://bucwis.barry.edu/news/4442_3133393738.htm

It is with profound sadness that we notify the Barry community that we have lost one of our own. Krystal Birdsong, a May 2008 graduate from the College of Arts & Sciences, current graduate student in the School of Social Work, and daughter of Leonard Birdsong, Associate Professor at Barry’s Law School, passed away Friday, Sept. 19. She was 25 years old.