Honor Beyond Words

I have been fortunate enough in my life to have been honored for many things. I've been honored for my singing, I've been honored for writing, for horse-back riding, for being a good 4-Her. I've probably had more than my share of award-winning. I've always been appreciative of these honors and I always will be. But there is one honor that is above and beyond any that I have ever received.
Over a year ago, I was asked by the mother of a friend that we lost to write the epitaph for his headstone. I can barely describe how it felt to be asked something of this magnitude. I was nearly brought to tears and was overwhelmed by what his parents asked of me. To epitomize how a friend, a son, a brother mattered to those closest to him was a challenge I was not sure I would be able to meet. I made my attempt and enclosed the short poem with the annual one I write to commemorate the anniversary of his and his cousin's death, with a note saying that I tried my best but if it wasn't good enough, wasn't what they wanted, or if they wanted to change it in any way, that it was okay. That I would understand. I never got a response from them officially as to whether or not they'd used that or maybe an excerpt from something else I'd written, except for the one occasion I encountered his father at Clearview and he stopped me to tell me thank you for all the things I had written, that I had found the words that he himself had always wanted to say. He also told me that Leigh's memorial would be one every one would notice, that "they were going to know who was up there". Not that we could ever forget, but I understood what he meant.
Nearly a year ago, my cousin and myself went up to see the new stone, finally put into it's place after so many years, though we understood why, as his father had told me to get what he wanted it took a lot of money to be saved and a long time to be created. It really is beautiful, tall, with his picture, his name, and an engraving of his car on it. But what made me nearly tear up again was seeing the words that I had created to remember him by, there carved into his stone. It had been one thing to write them, to see them on paper, but to see them there, telling the world how we all loved him, I can't truly describe how I felt. Yes, honored and proud, but also humbled. It was honestly one of those life-altering moments we all think about. It was the best way I could have ever been allowed to commemorate his remembrance, I was so glad that I could find the words that myself as a friend and his parents needed to describe his effect on our lives.
Both of the young men there on that hill are a part of my heart and my life every day. Rarely a day goes by that I don't atleast think of them once. They were special people to all that were fortunate to have met them. Two unique and life-loving individuals that will be missed forever. I know his father wanted to be sure that everyone knew who was up there, but to those that kept them close to heart as friends or family, there's not a chance that they could ever be forgotten, no headstone, big or small, will ever change that. We love you now as we loved you then, David and Leigh.

*Leigh's Epitaph*


IN LOVING MEMORY OF THE ONE WHO WENT BEFORE
WHO TOOK A STEP AWAY AND WALKED THROUGH HEAVEN'S DOOR
FROM A BOY TO A MAN , WE WATCHED YOU GROW
NOT KNOWING WHERE YOUR PATH WOULD GO
NOW TO HEAVEN, OUR SON, OUR FRIEND
BUT THIS IS NOT WHERE IT FINDS ITS END
IN OUR HEARTS YOU LIVE EVERY DAY
AND HOPE YOU HEAR THE WORDS WE PRAY
CHERISHED ALWAYS IN YOUR PLACE OF PEACE
OUR LOVE FOR YOU WILL NEVER CEASE