Friday, June 17, 2011

Dear Aaron,

It's days like today that the sting of you actually being gone is deep. Javi and I went over to Mom and Dad's to lay sod in the space that used to have the basketball court. I remember seeing you out the window in our back yard for hours on end shooting, dribbling, and hanging on the hoop. I guess that's part of why you're so good at basketball. When we ripped out the basketball court we gave the hoop to a little boy down the street. Maybe someday he'll be as good as you. On a night like tonight, when we're all outside in the yard, you normally would have made an appearance. It probably would have started with a "hello" and then before we knew it you would have dug in and helped us till the ground, pull the weeds, and redistribute the dirt. Your mom and dad really taught you how to work hard like that. I remember lots of Saturday mornings of mowing the lawn. You would be mowing your lawn too and we'd try not to do the imaginary line separating our houses at the same time. It was always weird because we could never quite figure out where that line was anyway. Sometimes you even edged our lawn which I always thought was so nice. Heaven knows my lawn care skills start and end with the mower.

It was especially weird when your dad and little brother walked over to mom and dad's house tonight and you didn't come with them. I wonder what you were doing while we were all there laughing really hard as Dad was being controlled by the tiller. Maybe you were there laughing too. I wish you had laughed louder.

Anyway, just know that it was weird and it will always be weird. Your absence is ridiculously noticeable on warm summer nights in our little hometown.

I really really really hope you're happy.
-the girl next door

2 comments:

  1. I miss Aaron every minute of every day. People say that time will heal our broken hearts, but I don't know if this is true. How do you get over loosing someone you loved? In a book I am reading it says "The only way to take sorrow out of death is to take love out of life."

    I miss seeing him mow the lawn too. I miss walking into my parents house and having him run up the stairs to greet me. When I walk into his room it feels like he is still there. Most of all I miss his laugh. He had a great laugh.

    I hope he is happy too. Aaron was tortured by his addiction. I hope he has found some peace. I can't wait to see him again. My grandpa died last week and I am comforted to know that he is with Aaron.

    I told my dad that I just want life to feel normal again. He said that life will never feel normal without Aaron, but we need to make a new normal and live our life well so we can live with Aaron again.

    Thanks so much for your post. Your family means so much to us!

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  2. I'm so sorry for your loss, Annalece.I guess in a way it is a loss for everyone who ever knew Aaron, and his death definitely had an impact on me even though I only regarded him as an acquaintance. I talked about him for days, so shocked by death, addiction, and the hard things we all face in our lives.

    I hope that you've been able to find healing and peace in the last few months, and that you will continue to honor your friend and the many things that you shared together.

    XO

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