Renee Bondi

A wonderful book that I finished recently is The Last Dance but Not the Last Song by Renee Bondi. In the 70s, I was in The Young Americans, and Renee was a "New Kid" with me. We did a lot of shows together, and spent a summer in Petoskey, MI with the American Music Theater. I always remembered Renee as a rambunctious, outgoing and friendly girl with a gorgeous soprano voice. Unfortunately, after I moved on from the YAs, I lost touch with everyone over the years.

During the holidays, Dave and I took our moms to Tibbie's on the Queen Mary. If you haven't been there, you must go!!! It's a song-and-dance revue type of dinner theater where the waiters/waitresses are also the performers. The show is incredible, as is the food. Originally, Tibbie's was associated with The Young Americans, and many alumni of the group have performed there (they've changed locations several times over the years).

Our waiter that particular night was a recent YA alumni, and of course my mom told him that I was also an alumni, so we got to talking. He told me about an alumni website (a Yahoo group) where we could reconnect with old friends. I joined the group immediately when I got home. It was there that I saw a post by Renee Bondi, who was Renee Lacuague when I knew her. She had a link to her website with her post. My jaw dropped to the floor when I went there and read about her story, which is both heartbreaking and inspirational. http://www.reneebondi.com/

Renee is a popular Christian speaker, singer and author. It is impossible to read her book without crying. It's all about her inspiring story of how, when she was the vocal music director at San Clemente High School, the night she got her engagement ring, a freak accident left her quadriplegic, and how her faith and special relationship with Jesus helped her through the heartbreaking ordeal. I ordered her CDs, and continue to be moved by her songs and her beautiful voice. She's the one singing "He Who Began a Good Work in You" on the middle video on my blog's video bar (this is a video of my mom's ordination as an elder at Grace Presbyterian Church).

I hope someday we can get her to speak at a the women's Christmas luncheon at FCC. She's touched so many people--what an amazing woman of faith, courage and strength!