Musical Memories

Throughout the day, I have been listening to Chester's music, trying to put together the music for the Celebration of his life to be held in Missouri on Saturday. Although I felt his spirit pass from this room with his final breath on Tuesday night, I am warmly embraced by his presence as I sit as his computer, listening to the music that he loved. So many memories are wrapped in the music, from doing our morning ABBAloutions in Oakland to crying together over the Mission soundtrack the day before he died to hearing Heaven Down Here while receiving loving massage, the post-Big Draw bliss listening to 1492, to the excitement he had in sharing the Wheelchair Blues with his friends, to his valiant attempts to turn me on to opera while I fixed his dinners. Over the years, we experienced and shared so much through music: the good, the bad and the blissful. When he was still able to manage his computer, he would make me up CD compilations to celebrate our memories and to continually introduce me to the music that moved him so. Selecting songs is an overwhelming in terms of how many songs moved him but also feels very reassuring and joyous. It has been very much of a healing task for me. I feel very grateful and just enveloped in his love and light.