Remembering Aimee's memorial

This was the photo used at
Aimee's memorial

As I sit here at home on the evening of New Year's Day, I have a lot to reflect about. This year, when people say "Happy New Year", it's honestly hard to feel like it will be, at least for some time. It was two weeks ago today that she died, and it's only now starting to really sink in.

Three days ago we held a memorial service for Aimee. Frankly, it was a beautiful tribute to a woman who gave so much of herself to others throughout her life. The senior pastor from our church, Kevin Day, did a fantastic opening and closing to the service. Three of her friends came up and read poetry or scripture reflecting their relationship with Aimee or things they knew to be important to her. The youth pastor from our church, Joe Monto, sang an amazing rendition of one of Aimee's favorite hymns, "Come Thou Fount". Aimee's mother Donna spoke very eloquently and sweetly about Aimee ("I am honored to be known as Aimee's mother"). Justin also very well about how Aimee impacted his life. And my speech about being married to Aimee was preceded by my best friend Bart and I performing "Aimee's Song", which we started writing (via email, since he lives in Phoenix and didn't arrive here until Tuesday night) on Christmas night and didn't finally finish tweaking until 11pm the night before the memorial. The service was capped by a beautiful video tribute to Aimee's life. Through everyone's words and the two songs, I truly feel like Aimee was honored, as was her faith in God and the assurance that she's now there in heaven with her earthly father and her Heavenly Father as well.

Up until I arrived at the church Thursday evening, planning the memorial hadn't really gotten to me. All of the looking at photos for the video, writing the song, making arrangements for speakers, video, etc, hadn't really hit me about WHY I was doing all of this. But when I got to the church and walked into the sanctuary, and there was a photo of Aimee's beautiful, smiling face on an easel with flowers, that was one of the times it really hit me why I was there and what I had really been planning.

We were there to pay tribute to my now deceased wife.

My God I love her, and I miss her. And so does Rowan.

As soon as I have video of any part of the service, I'll share it here. Until then, here are the words to "Aimee's Song":

Aimee’s Song 

Our life it was like a dream come true

Because it was fulfilled by you
But one day it went awry in such a flash
Now I’m seeing life through shards of broken glass 

It didn’t have to happen on the sea

The accident that claimed you needlessly
Now the hole within is far larger than life
I can’t get along without my wife

But we’ll meet again in the sunny place

And we’ll laugh, dance in an endless embrace
The wounds of loss healed and the joy returned
All memory lost of how my heart yearned
And we’ll meet again in the sunny place
Laugh and sing and gaze into space
The sorrow dissolves when I see you again
And we’ll be together with no end

Taken up to heaven and left me behind

I know someday I’ll be again by your side
Now I have our daughter and in her eyes I see
The magic and the love that you held for me

So now to honor what you meant to me

More like you is what I need to be
I’ll make you proud, I’ll make you smile
Until you meet me at that final mile

Then we’ll meet again in the sunny place

And we’ll laugh, dance in an endless embrace
The wounds of loss healed and the joy returned
All memory lost of how my heart yearned
And we’ll meet again in the sunny place
Laugh and sing and gaze into space
The sorrow dissolves when I see you again
And we’ll be together with no end

When I see you - When I see you again (It’ll be forever)

When I hear you - When I hear you again (It’ll be forever)
When I hold you - When I hold you again (It’ll be forever)
And I’ll never let go, I’ll never let go, I’ll never let go, I’ll never let go

When I see you again (It’ll be forever)

When I see you again (It’ll be forever)
When I see you again (It’ll be forever)