To begin this story lets start with what it means to a teacher here at ERHS to have a sentimental heart. When Diane Walker was asked this, she responded: ” When an individual embraces the memories of their past, to guide their hearts towards future endeavors.”

The following article is a tribute to my beautiful mother, Kimberly Kay Johnstun Hill. September 13, 1979 – February 1, 2026

If you’re anything like me, you’ve been cursed with having a sentimental heart. The curse of feeling uncontrollable, deep emotions when you don’t want to.  When I was little, my mom told me that when I was in Heaven before I was born, I chose her to be my mom. Being on Earth now, I don’t know why I picked her out of millions, billions of moms, but I know it’s God’s plan for her to be my mom. Kimberly Kay Hill is and will forever be my mom. From her, I developed her sentimental heart, her ability to feel emotions on another level, and her ability to serve others through kindness. When you see someone being overly emotional and overly showing it to everyone, you have one of two reactions. The kind reaction wonders if they’re okay and what happened to them. Or the annoyed reaction, asking yourself why they won’t shut up, and stop crying. Honestly, I’ve experienced both, and even some other not-so-kind reactions, and that’s okay. The truth is, I’ve always thought it was a curse to have a sentimental heart; society labels you as ” sensitive, ” ” dramatic,” and a “crybaby.” Sometimes they’re joking, and you know they don’t say it with any malicious intent, yet deep down, it feels like the way you act is an embarrassment.

After interviewing counsellor Mrs.Kelly here at ERHS with the question, what does it mean to you to have a sentimental heart she said. ” That’s a really deep and profound question. I think sentimental just means you value an experience and a feeling, and associate it with an experience. So it could be with people, things, you know, objects, whatever that is that left an imprint on you. So, that’s how I think I  define it on the spot.”

You’re growing up, now 18, an adult. You can buy scratchers at the gas station, but not alcohol. You’re too young to do that, but too old to do this. As I continue to make it forward in this journey of life, I’m realizing it’s not a curse to have a sentimental heart. Yes, it’s hard, but it’s gotten easier. Still to this day, when I hear a sad story, I can’t help but cry. When someone raises their voice at me, I can’t help but cry. When I have an epiphany of all the horrible, inhuman crimes people commit against kind human beings, I can’t help but cry. I’ve always thought it was a curse to have a sentimental heart; it makes me cry, weak, too soft, or even not man enough. But it also lets me serve others through kindness, truly listening to what they’re saying, trying to find the cracks in their facade that they may put up when they leave their house. Not to be nosy, but I hope they can open up to me. Hope I can help them by giving them the opportunity to tell someone something they can’t release to anyone else. I’m tired of listening to all the comments society has for people and internalizing them. In this world, there is too much judgment, too much hate. Instead of internalizing what society says, I have now realized people only say things based on who they are, what they’ve been through, and their perspective on life, and I hope you can do the same. Because at the end of the day, the only thing you can control is your reactions to others, in society, and the world. Some things are just out of our control. That’s how life works for someone who has been blessed with a sentimental heart like me, like her.

If I could ask her what people should get out of this tribute, she would say, “You are beautiful, You are kind,  You can do hard things, and most importantly, it is a blessing from god to have a sentimental heart.”