If I die young bury me in satin
Lay me down on a bed of roses
Sink me in the river at dawn
Send me away with the words of a love song
oh oh oh oh
I stare morosely at the tree. Her name is written there. There in the place we spent so much time together. There in the place her presence was strongest.
Alice Leigh Swan
9/13/1988-10/4/2004
"Life is the messy bits."
Your light will be missed
by all that it touched.
Rest in peace.
Lord make me a rainbow, I'll shine down on my mother
She'll know I'm safe with you when she stands under my colors, oh and
Life ain't always what you think it ought to be, no
ain't even grey, but she buries her baby
She was just sixteen when she died. She was on the way home from the mall with her friends—Summer and Maxie—when their car was struck by a drunk driver. Alice fought for two weeks; two long, painful weeks. But her body wasn't strong enough. No one was strong enough to recover from what Alice went through. We mourned her loss, but I made a resolution to live every moment for my sister—my best friend.
The sharp knife of a short life, well
I've had just enough time
We called her Allie. She was such a bright, bright girl. Nothing shook her; she was a rock. Everyone loved her—loved the bright light that was in her eyes and in everything she did. Allie was an angel sent to Earth to bless our family.
If I die young bury me in satin
Lay me down on a bed of roses
Sink me in the river at dawn
Send me away with the words of a love song
Allie wanted us to cremate her and scatter the ashes in the places she loved most. Near her tree, in that bed of roses, and in the river where we always swam in the summer.
The sharp knife of a short life, well
I've had just enough time
Her last words to us were that she had enough time, and not to be sad. Allie loved life, but she was okay with letting go. She knew there was a better place for her; a place with less suffering.
And I'll be wearing white when I come into your kingdom
I'm as green as the ring on my little cold finger
I've never known the lovin' of a man
But it sure felt nice when he was holding my hand
There's a boy here in town says he'll love me forever
Who would have thought forever could be severed by
She was so young, so unexperienced. She had one boyfriend ever, and they never even kissed. It was just a short, sweet thing. They loved each other. After she died, he dissappeared but a suicide note was found at the cliffs at the local lake. He was named Nick. He died on November 12th. It was their one-year anniversary that he committed suicide. He wrote only five words in his note.
I've gone to join her.
The sharp knife of a short life, well
I've had just enough time
Allie was an old soul. Her love was deep and infinite. It would never be severed, ever. That's why Nick was so destroyed by Allie's death.
So put on your best boys and I'll wear my pearls
What I never did is done
Allie's last wish was for me to go make things right with our dad, Charlie. That's why I'm standing here at the oak tree. I'm saying goodbye, before I have to leave this place forever. But it's for Allie. And I'll never deny her anything.
A penny for my thoughts, oh no I'll sell them for a dollar
They're worth so much more after I'm a goner
And maybe then you'll hear the words I been singin'
Funny when you're dead how people start listenin'
No one ever listened to Allie but us. She knew things no one could ever know normally. We believed her, but not when she had the bad feeling about the mall trip. That's why she wouldn't let me go. After she died, we understood. She knew she was going to die that day.
If I die young bury me in satin
Lay me down on a bed of roses
Sink me in the river at dawn
Send me away with the words of a love song
oh oh
When we spread her ashes, we sang a love song. She never wanted her death to be mourned. She wanted a celebration of love and life. We would give her that, even though she would never know in death.
The ballad of a dove
Go with peace and love
Gather up your tears, keep 'em in your pocket
Save them for a time when your really gonna need 'em oh
She had this strong belief that there should be no war; only peace and love. She would comfort us when we cried, and tell us to keep them until we would really need them. Her funny statement made us laugh through our tears. Always.
The sharp knife of a short life, well
I've had just enough time
So put on your best boys and I'll wear my pearls
Alice Leigh Swan, you will be missed by all. We love you. And I'm going to honor your request to make things right with Charlie. I swear I will, even if it kills me.
Alright, there it is. That was hard for me to write. I seriously had myself tearing up, especially because I was listening to the song, too. It's called "If I Die Young" by The Band Perry. If you want me to continue this, just let me know. Thanks. :)