Hello. I'm sure most of you know me, but for those that do not, I am Mike, Don and Judy's OTHER child. I begin with this because levity was the rule of the day when relating to my sister, and anything else would not be fitting even in this most dire of circumstances. For more years than I can remember, Shelly always referred to me as mom and dad's favorite. I'm pretty sure the real reason behind this running joke was that the opposite was most likely true, and she KNEW it. I do stand here before you as a strong second place, and I'm OK with that.
Some of you may also know that I have been designated "the writer in the family," mostly due to my mom insisting that I should have written for the school newspaper (she was right, sigh). Truthfully, I do love to write, and on the occasion I sit down to do so, I always seem to have the words. My best ideas always come when I'm on the move...on a trail running or biking, on a mountain sliding down. The words just flow for me, and all I have to do is remember them and put them down, usually in a run-on sentence that drives my teacher wife insane.
For this...I had no words.
I rode and ran and rode and ran and my brain came up with some pretty good ideas...but when I went to put them down...they all came off as rote and cheesy and typical and disingenuous...all things that I do NOT want to convey when it comes to my sister. I was stuck for a long time. I simply could not quantify my sister with words.
Then, suddenly, I found it. And I found it in MUSIC.
The song is called "Sunshower" by Chris Cornell, and it's been a favorite of mine for a long time, made so much more poignant by the sunshowers that occurred a couple days last week when the only thing on my mind was Shelly. The lyric that hit me was..."I know all your graces, someday will flower."
Grace.
Not so much a word as a concept, an ideal...a way of living your life.
And she was absolutely grace.
Grace is knowing you have this ridiculous level of talent, but never showing it off.
Grace is being a wife and mother and making it look so easy.
Grace is something that is often attributed to good times, but is equally poignant and prevalent in bad.
Grace is a flow in life, taking things in stride.
Grace is joy, regardless of what is thrown your way.
My sister lived in grace.
I would entreat everyone here today to carry her with you in your hearts, and live your life as she did. Keep her legacy alive by simply being a good person, because Shelly was the best person.
Shel...I love you forever. I know all your graces, someday will flower.
