“The Night we Met” by Lake Huron gives all the feels …
and I consider more than I have ever wanted in April and May because the thoughts and emotions are not only about the anticipation of May 27th, Corrie’s Angel Anniversary. It is the build-up. Each year, leading up to the day when we honor her, something has occurred—whether major or minor.
I consider myself a strong woman. Aside from being sick last week, I have continued to get in shape because I believe physical activity and conditioning are the best ways to help me succeed in the challenges I may face in the weeks before we mark five years …
Five years …
leaving only one half of year left meaning that in December I will have lived the duration of Corrie’s lifespan without her.
I don’t say, “I’m so proud.” You think, “Okay, I’m climbing mountains when this heavy load will dwell in my heart forever.”
Then I have my son and husband, and each faces their own grief. My son is struggling now more than ever with Corrie’s absence from the world. (That is all I will say of his struggle, as I respect his privacy.)
Since we lost her, I have believed that I must live the best possible life in service and through actions in order to deserve seeing her again.
It is why, when an incident last year occurred, I nearly went to the hospital. I had been shocked, my memory went back 4:35 p.m. on the side of the interstate in the rain, and I could not distinguish between my classroom and Corrie being gone all because of dark fairytales.
But, the recovery, which took me almost six months, made me stronger when facing this season. I’m on the look out for surprises, so that when I greet my final sunset, I hope they say, “She did it. She is with Corrie again.”
When I hear, “The Night We Met,” by Lake Huron, the emotions I feel are complex because I am in love, smiling, and sad at the same time. I think first of my husband, and when we drove around backroads to be together.
I remember everything …
If my love was inconvenient for others, I did not care because I adored—and still love—that man.
Without John, our son, Corrie, and all of the moments we have shared would not exist. I hear that love and loss in every line. Lake Huron sings, “I am not the only traveler/ who has not repaid his debt.” I feel every bit of it. “I’ve been searching for a trail to follow again.” It cuts to the core of my belief that I must pay a debt.
I must pay a debt of service. I must perform good acts with a genuine heart, so I am worthy of seeing my daughter again, and in my mind, have paid some type of price for the pain she had suffered.
No matter what though, the song always brings me back to John. He has lifted me off the floor more times than I can count. He has never judged me for the depth of my grief considering I witnessed Corrie’s exit from the earth.
If you have loved anyone, whether you lost or still have them, this song is worth a listen.
By R.A. Bridges
Corrie's Season 