Dec 21, 2014 3 min read

We were treated to a remarkable life lesson a week ago.

Basically, it was a simple lesson – embrace a dream, go after it and don’t let the past, no matter how unpleasant, or, in some cases, so horrific, keep that dream from coming true.

It was a lesson we learned from a courageous and determined 26-year-old woman named Kimberly Ann Furmanek, whose life was turned upside down and inside out when she was just 7 years old.

On Dec. 1, 1994, Kimberly’s mother, Rhonda, was murdered in Wind Ridge, a community in the western part of Greene County, by two people hired by Rhonda’s husband and Kimberly’ stepfather, who was in jail on charges of aggravated spousal assault for attacking Rhonda in October of that same year.

Kimberly did not witness the assault, but had a clear memory of what her mother looked like afterward. Kimberly did not witness the stabbing, but she heard her mother’s screams.

These events impacted the lives of others – Kimberly’s sister, who was 2 years old at the time, and of course, Rhonda’s parents, Carol and Dennis Furmanek.

How easy it would have been for these tragic events and images to have consumed Kimberly to the point where she became an angry, bitter and, perhaps, violent person herself. Instead, what struck us most about Kimberly’s story, which appeared in the Dec. 14 Observer-Reporter, was her motivation and tenacity to move forward and go after a dream, even if obstacles were thrown in her path.

Of course, she did not travel that road alone. There was her grandmother, Carol, who became an outspoken advocate against domestic violence, and a counselor’s gift of a white teddy bear she clutched while testifying about her mother’s murder.

There were also supportive classmates at Washington & Jefferson College, where she graduated before attending law school at Widener University in Delaware.

Then there was her aunt, Denise Musolino, Rhonda’s sister, who showed her niece some tough love when she didn’t pass the bar exam on the first try, as many don’t.

“When she would get down on herself, I kept encouraging her. She definitely used all her experiences to empower her to be where she is today,” Musolino said.

On Nov. 14 Kimberly Furmanek stood in the same courtroom where she testified 19 years ago, and took the oath to practice law.

Her story generated a host of comments on social media.

“My best friend until Dec. 1, 1994, would be so proud of her daughter, Kimberly Ann, for being the wonderful young woman she has become.”

Then there was this one: “Your story brought tears to my eyes, Kimberly. Blessings to you for meeting the challenges of law school and persevering to create something positive out of the horrible tragedy your family suffered. I know you will make a difference in many people’s lives.”

“Congratulations, Kimberly, on all of your hard work. You are an inspiration,” read another.

And from Kimberly herself: “I’m not a lawyer to become rich. I became a lawyer because I want to make a difference, if just in one person’s life, so my mother didn’t die in vain.”

If that isn’t a life lesson, we don’t know what is.