Tuesday, December 18, 2012

1 Year: Aimee's Tribute Video

Set to the music of two songs: "Angel", by Sarah McLachlan, and "Shiny Eyes", by Flatfoot 56. The first song was chosen as it was one Aimee really liked. The second one was used on her father's tribute video less than a year earlier, and Aimee's brother Justin thought it was fitting to use it again here.

Many thanks to Steve Bartlett for creating this video, and doing it for free on short notice.



____________________________________________________________________
On today, the anniversary of the day that my beloved Aimee was released to be with the other angels back in heaven, I am spending it the following way:

  • Dropping Rowan off at school
  • Visiting with Pastor Kevin, the lead pastor from my church
  • Spending much of the rest of the day in quiet reflection
  • Meeting Rowan as she gets home from school
  • Spending time with her (see below)
  • Spending some time with friends, 'hitting the reset button' as Aimee used to say, doing something to get a reprieve after what I know will be a very tough day

I've spent a lot of time the last couple of months trying to determine what I want to do with Rowan to recognize this day. I wanted to find something that would be appropriate for Rowan to do at any age, and one that would not be geographically specific, so she could do it anywhere, no matter where she lives during her life. I also wanted whatever it was to become a tradition that she could observe for the rest of her life, or at least as long as she felt it necessary.

After considering and discarding many ideas, I finally settled on one I like: we're going to write a letter to mommy. She'll tell me what she wants to say, and I'll write it down. She also wants to draw pictures to go with it, which I think is sweet. I'll save all of them, and put them in her memory chest (a subject for another, soon to be written blog post) so that she'll be able to go back and read them any time she wants for the rest of her life.

5 comments:

  1. What a beautiful video and tribute to a great person who left this earth way too soon. Thoughts are with your family as you go through this holiday season. Your daughter will see through this video and the many things you are doing and saying to her what a great mother she was.

    ReplyDelete
  2. i dont know you or aimee but my daughter lisa went to school with aimee and talks highly of her,,,,,tears for you on this morning i read this/ but also i commend you for your love of your wife and your daughter is so lucky to have a man who truely loved her mother enough to honor her in this way ,,,,,,,,sometimes i just dont get why bad things happen to good people ,,,,,,but thanks for making me think there are still a few good people out there in this world

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for this wonderful comment. Aimee and I used to talk about how important it was to Rowan's future that we show her what a really good marriage with mutual love and respect looked like. And it was all genuine. I think it's still important that Rowan grow up knowing how much I loved and respected her mother. Anyway, thanks again for the nice words. I appreciate it.

      Delete
  3. I went to school with Aimee she was always just the sweetest girl.She was the first to help if anybody needed it.I'll always think of her with a smile on her face, because she rarely didn't have one .Godspeed to you and your sweet baby girl, and to her mom and brother as well.

    ReplyDelete