THIS WAS WRITTEN AND READ BY ALY'S DAD AT HER FUNERAL

About five days ago I had a lifetime of words, a lifetime of thoughts, a lifetime of emotions, a lifetime........ripped from my heart.  It hurts, it hurts bad.  It's not a mortal hurt, even through you could've fooled me.   It's not a hurt that you can patch up in the ER either.  I know you feel it too.  I know it because anyone who knew Aly for longer than five minutes could see that she was to full of sunshine, so full of energy.  And that rubbed off on everybody.  I remember telling her, a lot sometimes, that she needed to slow down to about 100 mph.  She would say, I know dad, but there is so much to do, so much to see".  I would kiss her forehead and say "I know dear".  She always would slow down for about a day or two.

When we were looking through pictures I noted two recurring themes.  In almost every single picture that we looked at Aly was either making some weird face or she was smiling or laughing.  I thought, "That can't be my daughter".  Then I though, "It sure can be".  She was so full of life.

About eighteen years ago, someone told us that when your children are young, usually shortly after they start talking, you can ask them is they remember anything about their birth.  Well of course we did not believe it, but we gave it a try anyway.  She said it was like floating in water, dark, warm and very loving.  Then she said she started moving down this dark tunnel, and this hurt a bit, it was squeezing her.  Then all of a sudden it was bright and cold, and she saw her dad and then her mom.  Five days ago Aly went through that long dark tunnel again.  I hope that she was not alone and I pray that she saw God's face this time in the brightness.

Now we all have this hole, this emptiness in our hearts.  The best way that I can think of to fill it in, is to take that short lifetime of words, that short lifetime of thoughts, that short lifetime of memories, that short lifetime......and stuff them into that hole..   Try to hold on to them as long as possible, I know I will.

One more thing, I have lost a daughter, but I still have the best son that a father could want.  Zac, I am so proud to be your father.  You've grown into a fine young man.

HEARTS HEARD HERE.

LISTEN QUIETLY,   TO LIGHT THE SHADOWS ON YOU R FACE.

    DON'T CRY BECAUSE ITS   OVER............

     SMILE, BECAUSE YOUR LIFE WAS A PART OF IT......

           Remembering you ,Little Starfish"