His wife was notified immediately ... had to tell their 3 children ... then she called my son Jeremy ... Matt's best friend.
Matt Wilkerson was brilliant, funny and passionate about University of Georgia football where he'd gone to school and played in the band.
Jenn, his wife, is equally as brilliant, funny and passionate, went to UGA and fell in love with the boy in the band.
Their life was taking off when Matt's life was taken.
Trying to reconcile the unfairness of life ... and the insistence of death ... Jeremy posted a song as his way coping.
"Oh they tell me of a home where my friends have gone ... oh they tell me of a home far away ... oh they tell me that he smiles on his children there ... and his smile drives their sorrows away."
The version Jeremy posted is by Audra Mae, part of the soundtrack of "Sons of Anarchy" ... who takes the old Hymn and completely transforms it into something else.
"Oh they tell me ..."
It could be true.
It couldn't be true either.
You decide what they tell you.
It's become one of my Hymns and I'm determined to learn it the way in the questioning sort of way.
I'm practicing as Sarah wanders in the room and sings with me until the words ... "they tell me that he smiles on the children there" ... and she bursts into tears.
Sarah never cries.
Ever!
We have friends from her past that I've yet to meet ... but adore.
They lost baby twins ... Lexi and Teddy ... who gets over that?
They're raising Noah now and life's good ... though something's always missing.
So when Sarah cries ... I cry ... and we stop because we can't keep on ... Hoping beyond hope that what they tell me is true ... "His smile drives their sorrows away."
Sarah jumps up ... wiping her eyes ... takes a picture to send to our friends Aaron, Nick and Noah ... for Lexi and Teddy too ... of course Matt ... and Jenn and the kids.
I don't know why death is a part of life.
It shouldn't be ... but it is.
It's not right.
But they tell me ... of an uncloudy day.
And for once ... I think they're right.
