Eulogy Poem

Days before my grandpa Roger's funeral, the five oldest grandchildren were asked if they wanted to get up in front of everyone and speak on his behalf. Me, being the fifth oldest, first asked what the other four said. To little surprise, the other four declined simply because they didn't think they were strong enough to do so. It's understandable that they said no because it is not an easy thing to do. After pondering on the question for a few minutes, I agreed. My head was telling me no, but a little voice inside was shouting, "YES! YOU ARE STRONG ENOUGH TO DO THIS ERICA!" I first spoke with my cousins and sisters to collect special memories of our grandpa. Once, I had an outline, I started to write my speech. Even though I planned to give a three to five minute speech, I ended up writing a poem. After I finished writing it, I realized that a speech was no longer necessary because the poem said it all. From experience, I am not the best at getting in front of people, let alone reading my own writing. But I somehow pulled it together and read it flawlessly. So, here's my poem. Your opinions are always welcome!

We Remember

Dedicated to our loving grandpa: Roger Sonntag

You were a husband, a father, a friend, and granddad
And now that you're gone we are all feeling sad

But although you passed and some are feeling tense
We will reflect on your involvement in many of our events

We remember growing up, knowing you were always there
To guide us and support us and show how much you care

We remember the holidays, picnics, and all the parades
And how you took care of us when we had sick days

We remember sleepovers in the water bed and rides after school
And how we always drove your scooter and thought we were cool

We remember playing Nintendo, pinball machines, and solitaire
And how every time we visited, you and your radio were there

We remember the quarter you used to give us all
And how you always reminded us when we were getting tall

We remember visiting your office at work on the second floor
And how you had a stash of miniature candy bars galore

We remember when we were young, on the swing sets we would play
And how you took us swimming when it was a sunny day

We remember how you cheered us on as boy and girl scouts
And how you lifted our spirits up in any time of doubt

We remember trips to chuck 'e cheese and of course, Bay Beach
We will keep with us the endless lessons you would always teach

We remember you partaking in every celebration
Whether it was our baptism, communion, or confirmation

We remember all the times you watched us play sports in our gear
From football to basketball to baseball and cheer

We remember your involvement in soccer, softball, and dance
And how you showed encouragement every time you got a chance

We remember showing off with hulas, tricks, and more
And how you'd watch us with sidewalk chalk from the front door

We remember when you saw us at our talent shows
And all the small chats we had about how the world goes

We remember scrambling around the house while playing hide and seek
And how you had us change lights bulbs every couple weeks

We remember all the plays and horse shows you went to
And seeing the UW band perform as the oldest grand kid grew

We remember the oreos, ice cream, and bakery you spoiled us with
Your funny jokes, imitations, and nicknames are what we really miss

We remember all the times you would make fun and tease
But you would still look at the camera, smile, and say cheese

No longer can we capture your picture or look you in the eye
But we can hold our memories close and try not to cry

Over the many years, you supplied us with the knowledge
And we are going to miss you when the rest graduate college

We will miss you at our weddings and when we get a good job
But we know that you're still watching and you will never stop

We know that you are proud and there's a smile on your face
While you look down and remember us from a very special place

We know that when you see us, you are happy as can be
Because you and grandma together raised a beautiful family

So remember all the good times and focus on the smiles
And keep in mind we are with you and have been all the while

Although you are gone, remember we will always be together
Because your spirit lives in each of us and will continue to forever

Babies...

I think one of the most precious gifts from God are the little babies of the world. I always thought I would get married and have children at a young age. Being 19, as a full time student with a part time job, I don't have much time for a boyfriend, let alone a family. So, I take in the magic and beauty of everybody else's babies.

A friend from work recently gave birth to a little girl named Alana. I wanted to see her so bad, but was on vacation at the time. Once I returned home and back to work, my friend blessed me with the presence of Alana. She brought her into work one morning, covered with a blanket. As I revealed the precious infant, I became speechless and breathless.

Nothing puts a bigger smile on my face than an infant. As I gently held the baby girl in my arms, I imagined my motherhood. I had a bad childhood which helped me relaize the kind of parent I don't want to be. I want to tell my children I love them several times a day to make up for all the children who aren't told that.

I have considered adoption, foster parenting, and surrogate mothering along with having my own children. If I follow all paths I will have my own baby, have a baby for someone who can't, adopt a baby that doens't have a family, and take in children who need stability and shelter in their life. This way, everybody wins. I'm not sure of my plans in my life but helping in anyway possible to better the lives of children is my goal. I want to give back the happiness babies bring all of us. :)

Footsteps...

As I walked along the shore of Waikiki, I lost myself in thought of the footsteps on the beach. I couldn't help but wonder the story behind each and every one. The footsteps were of all sizes and shapes. Some made a neverending path on the shore, while others dissapeared into the ocean. I would have given anything to have the knowledge of the origin of each footstep.

My imagination raced with questions of my newly found obsession. After I pondered where and from whom these footsteps could have came from, I wondered if anyone else on this beach had the same thoughts as me. Maybe someone was staring at the footsteps I was taking, trying to figure me out. It was all a mystery, which increased my passion for the ocean and its many beaches.

Eventually I realized that there's no way of knowing each story of every sandy imprint, so I decided to people watch. Although is was 11:30 p.m., it's not uncommon to find people on the beach. But, to my surprise, once I looked up to find a new object to concentrate on, I found only nature's beauty looking back at me. It confused me that nobody was on the beach with me, but at the same time, it put a huge smile on my face.

The air was warm with a light breeze from the sea. I could hear the Hawaiian street performers playing music while tourists cheered. I could hear voices, but couldn't and didn't want to make them out. The sound of the waves crashing on the sandy beach made all the people noise fade away. The smell of the ocean was so salty, I could practically taste it. I flashedback to my childhood, when the waves would knock me over, leaving me disoriented with a mouth full of salt water. As bad as that sounds, it still made me grin.

As for what I saw, it is almost too amazing to put into words. There were palm trees, sand, sea shells, rocks, boats, piers, pools, towles, and of course, the deep blue sea. I had never been to the Pacific before this spring break, but I wish I had. The "deep blue" in the Pacific is more of a light, see-through color. Not only can you see your feets when neck deep, but you can make out the color of your toe nail polish! Overall, the many beauties of Waikiki alone are too overwhelming for me to explain right now. I must say though, Hawaii truly is everything it's made out to be...

Misused Words...

Hate and love are probably the two most misused words I hear on a daily basis. Although love is a great feeling, it is used out of context too much. I guess love is what you make it to be. Personally, I go by the bible's definition: Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps not record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perserveres. (Corinthians 13 vs. 4-7)

I feel like love is represented minimally in my daily life. Human nature is to worry about oneself first. Therefore, selfishness fills many lives. People are filled with so many unnecessary feelings and emotions that could easily be fixed. If we would overcome our fears, worries, obligations, and selfish ways, we could find and spread love. I'm not trying to be philosophical or anything. I'm just saying...we could reach the point of real and true love.

Hate. It bothers me everytime someone starts a sentence with "I hate..." Since interupting is not the nicest way to get a point across, I usually wait until they're finished with the sentence before I comment. Most of my friends learn to catch themselves because if they don't, I always stop them and say, "You shouldn't hate." It's not a matter of telling them what to do. It's not even the fact that they shouldn't hate. It's just that they should not misuse that powerful word.

I'm not trying to tell people what to do or say. I'm just saying that maybe people should think before they speak. Or maybe even just take a minute to think about what those words mean to them. Then maybe, just maybe, they'll learn to use them properly. In my opinion, everything would work out if everybody loved and nobody hated. But that's just me..trying to get others to be graceful, humble, and caring.