Celebration of a Beautiful Life – Brooke Colvin
For those who could not be there:
On a beautiful day along the banks of the American River in Lotus, California I would guess 400 or more people gathered to celebrate the life of Brooke Colvin. It was a fitting location as she loved the river, the outdoors, and the people she met and worked with there. It is just impossible to imagine someone so full of life to be gone from it.
Brooke’s mom and dad spoke of her. Her bothers spoke of her. Thad’s parents spoke of her. Her friends opened their hearts to us on what she had meant to them. And of course, Thad spoke of her. What came through was that she was a gift to all of them. She had a love for life and a compassion for everyone who came into it. She had a heart big enough for everyone. Instead of feeling angry for her short life, they were thankful for what a wonderful gift her life had been for them. She always brought brightness into the room, and it was her gift to us to carry on with her zest for life. And everyone remembered her beautiful and infectious smile.
Then the community closed ranks around the grieving family. There was an outpouring of love and support that will be there to help them deal with their and our grieving. On a beautiful winter day, the river flowed slowly by, the sun shown brightly, and friends and family celebrated a beautiful life.
But the words of Thad haunt me. He said that about two or three days after the accident he was sleeping in a room with his father when Brooke’s phone rang. He just wanted to stop its incessant ringing so he fumbled with the unfamiliar phone to turn it off. When he finally managed to find the power button, as it powered off it displayed a smiley face and then the words, “Goodbye”. How very Brooke. Goodbye Brooke. We will carry on.
RELATED BOLGS: Tragedy, Tragedy Update
jcksweat:
Half of Multnomah, Teton and El Dorado Counties seemed to show up.
Robby had spread around pictures from the past. That class always seemed to have the most beautiful and talented girls, as if the sun shone more brightly on that bunch and hopefully it still does. The second girl speaker, the brunette, after Dana, caught the essence of both Brooke and Robby.
Let “Old Oregon” know, for am willing to bet there are sisters, friends and boyfriends who have spread to the far corners and as things go it is a sure bet that some remain unknown. quarterly@uoregon.edu
January 31, 2009, 2:44 pm