Goodbye Tammy Marx. I will miss you.

My friend died in the past week. She lived a difficult life, filled with pain and physical struggle. She fought an inspirational fight. She fought alone. Her family did not understand her, and tried to make her decisions for her as if she were mentally incapacitated. She had a brilliant mind, and was frustrated most of her life by their inability to see her intelligence and ability to manage her life with skill and adeptness.

Today is her funeral. I will lay one large, red rose beside her in her casket. This is difficult for me to do, because I do not go to viewings. I don't like to look in on dead people. But I want to give one last thing to Tammy, because I want to give her a lovely red rose, to symbolize the vivacious and passionate life I know she would have lived if she had been given the opportunity. Instead, she lived her life bound to a wheelchair, obligated to those whose whims controlled her.

So, this is for you, dear Tammy. I will miss you more than you would have ever known. I will look for you in sunsets and in rainbows, and I will see you in all things free and beautiful.



Pray God you can cope.
I stand outside this woman's work,
This woman's world.
Ooh, it's hard on the man,
Now his part is over.
Now starts the craft of the father.

I know you have a little life in you yet.
I know you have a lot of strength left.
I know you have a little life in you yet.
I know you have a lot of strength left.

I should be crying, but I just can't let it show.
I should be hoping, but I can't stop thinking

Of all the things I should've said,
That I never said.
All the things we should've done,
That we never did.
All the things I should've given,
But I didn't.

Oh, darling, make it go,
Make it go away.

Give me these moments back.
Give them back to me.
Give me that little kiss.
Give me your hand.

(I know you have a little life in you yet.
I know you have a lot of strength left.
I know you have a little life in you yet.
I know you have a lot of strength left.)

I should be crying, but I just can't let it show.
I should be hoping, but I can't stop thinking

Of all the things we should've said,
That were never said.
All the things we should've done,
That we never did.
All the things that you needed from me.
All the things that you wanted for me.
All the things that I should've given,
But I didn't.

Oh, darling, make it go away.
Just make it go away now.