I said where to start. It’s been a second but it’s been a year all at the same time.
I thought I might end this blog today, but I think I have about 365 blog posts after yesterday and today alone, so we’ll just get to them one by one!
Laying Chris’ ashes to rest inside the heavy granite chamber of the cemetery niche wall had a sense of finality to it, but also an amazing sense of peace. It was simply the right thing to do. Not only will we have a place to go and stand in the middle of these huge trees, but so will others.
This is truly a place that anyone of you can go and think and talk to Chris or remember. We just love seeing Chris’ friends. They are changing so much. Getting so mature as they move towards their graduation milestones. But more on that later.
The emotion sort of flowed a little for me at that moment of release. I realized that I had personally watched over my son from the hospital to the funeral home, the service at the church, and then back to the funeral home and then every day for the last year.
On March 25, 2011 it was time to let go a little.
Not let go of Chris. He is more part of me than ever before.
Simply, it was time to let go and let others also have a more physical connection to his memory.
Something that will live forever.
The bronze name plate is on its way, so you’ll see a simple laminated paper scan of the work for the next few weeks.
You are welcome anytime….between 9 and dusk that is!
Dogwood 41.
AC was there and sang Love Shines in the middle of those amazing trees. It was awesome. Not only that, she had set her sights on completing her new CD on March 25 and wouldn’t you know it, she picked up 2,000 copies that morning. We’ve played it all weekend. Love it Cath.
I want to invite you all to her gala concert at the wonderfully acoustic Matsqui Auditorium in Clearbrook on Sat, April 16. (Yes, that is on the VALLEY side of the Port Mann Bridge for my Vancouver readers…(just a little running joke with some of you!))
Here’s a few pics from the cemetery so you get a sense.
At 2:32:41 we released some balloons and looked up and said hi to Chris.
I know many of you did too.
Love it.
As we watch balloons go up, you see the walls in the background guarded by the trees.Balloons released. Nice shot Max!Temporary marker...you get a sense of how it will look.
AC (Auntie Cathy, aka Cathy AJ Hardy) was in the remote Mission studio of Philip Janz doing some vocal tracks for her upcoming release.
She invited me to drop by and Philip was gracious to let me take a few pics and shoot a little vid.
Philip is a very accomplished musician and producer in the gospel genre and beyond with awards he probably won’t tell you about, but you can read about them on the web!
I love music and the process of creating.
What makes Philip so unique is the ability to really understand music from a musical perspective and also be a technical master. Watching him work was very interesting. He was a blend of technician, music coach, manager and orchestra leader. He knew what small part he wanted recorded and/or changed and then had a vision of how that would affect the whole piece. You need a lot of vision and skill to do that as well as get the best from the musician or vocalist you are working with.
It was as if Philip was seeing everything through his ears if that makes any sense. The part I like most in the vid is seeing him twirl his pen as he listens to Cathy lay down a vocal track. He’s feeling every note and nuance making decisions on timing, pitch and understanding of how he’ll use that piece of the puzzle to help Cathy tell her story. Very cool.
Talk about Be The Best.
Oh yah…AC is coming out with a new album. That is VERY COOL too. There are some fun songs. There are some DEEP songs. There are some songs sung with Chris is mind.
I loved what I heard…and I can’t wait.
Here’s a very little sneak peek inside the work of a master producer and a pretty cool musician…(yah, that’s high praise coming from an older brother…)
The other thing to watch for in the vid is the emotion that comes through music. Is it possible to be happy and sad at the same time? Is it possible to be feeling the deepest emotions of loss yet feel the powerful strength of hope for the future? Yup.
I remember when we had both Max and Chris as young dudes in piano lessons.
One night, they had a piano recital. They were both scared. It was sort of comical. Here’s why.
Brothers are brothers. That means always a punch or comment or wedgie or attempted wedgie or something.
That’s what brothers do.
Here’s what else brothers do. They have each others’ backs.
During this piano recital, the fooling around was over for the night..or at least until the ‘stupid’ recital was over. It was simply, I’m gonna support you and you’re gonna support me and we’ll get through this horrific event of playing this instrument in front of people we don’t know.
Love it.
Brothers.
Forever.
Chris goes for 'atomic wedgie'...yah, that's Max's head in there somewhere.
For those of us who live in the Vancouver area of the Great White North, we experience those breathtaking summer nights with sunlight reaching to 9:45pm and beyond.
As the days grow shorter and wetter, many of those sunsets that were so powerful to me are now packaged up and waiting to surprise again next Spring. It had been over a month since I last listened to Love Shines, that powerful and moving song that AC (Auntie Cathy) sang at Chris’ service.
I just listened now and as I did I looked out the window at the total pitch blackness. The words are Love Shines and Darkness Flees. Only thing was, it’s still dark outside. The meaning of the song became even more powerful to me tonight.
Of course. We can’t escape the physical darkness. So too in our journey, there will continue to be dark times. We cannot escape those. BUT love is shining through that darkness and allowing our lives to continue to be pulsated with light through the love of family, friends, colleagues, lacrosse connections etc etc. I think our own actions and choices to be involved in changing lives through Chris’ fund and other opportunities (giving is in grieving), also helps to chase the virtual darkness.
This weekend, AC gave me an update on her upcoming album. She’s going out on a limb. As an artist, I think it’s the most difficult thing to do to put yourself out there not only as an artist, but also as a business person. She is self funding her new album driven by the passion of Love Shines and other songs that will help bring hope to many.
You can get involved all the way from pre-ordering the CD to a larger investment that includes a House Concert at your place for friends and family!! Cool.
What I love about this is the passion, goal setting and desire for change to help propel a dream.
Be The Best. 