Celebration of Life

We had the Celebration of Life for our children on February 23, 2020.

We did not want a traditional service indoors. After the accident, we had decided against an open casket and burial. We could not live with the idea of mourning over their precious bodies. Instead, we were to cremate them and eventually scatter their ashes in the ocean.

My wife had a vision for how the celebration should be. It was to be a true celebration and remembrance of Elijah and Norah’s lives. We decided to use one of the larger pavilions at Bear Creek Park in Houston. There was no need for reservations. We had a giant rainbow-colored balloon arch made for the stage area. We rented chairs and tables for visitors. We also had the event catered via a local BBQ restaurant.

The most important aspect we wanted was to make sure it was kid friendly. A traditional service would’ve had parents constantly hushing and trying to keep their kids calm. That is not what we wanted. We wanted to celebrate our kids by allowing their cousins and friends to just have fun. The pavilion was right next to a large playground. We rented a whole set of inflatable playsets. We had face painting and other small activities. We rented out a popcorn stand, and an ice cream stand. All the kids had fun.

The weather was crisp that morning. The sky was gray, and it was very windy. Everything was trying to fly away. By the afternoon, however, the sun had come through the clouds, and there was a gentle breezing blowing the whole time. The weather became so pleasant. I thanked God.

The turnout at the event was encouraging. We had family at the event. A good portion of our church family was there. I was most surprised by my co-workers showing up. That was deeply moving, and I am always grateful for that.

I was also blown away by all the teachers and school staff that also came. It was very heart-warming, and to this day I am so grateful they came. I am sure they were also deeply impacted by the passing of our children. All three of our children attended the same school. Most of the teachers and staff knew our kids. The stories they told me afterwards were incredible.

The singing at the celebration moved me the most. One of our friends had flown down from New Jersey and sang the song Way Maker. It was the first time I had heard that song. It moved me to tears. Lots of tears. To this day, when I hear that song, it fills me with both pain, but also hope.

There is so much to say. Words escape me at the moment. In the meantime, the video here hopefully fills in the gaps.

It was a bittersweet day.