October 17, 2005
Lakewood Cemetery, Minneapolis, Minnesota
I loved Aaron before he was born. His great adventure – and that's how Aaron saw life, as an adventure – began in the heartland of Iowa and took him around the world. While he was still in my womb we walked country roads and I talked to him. I gave him to God. His whole life I've prayed for God to provide love and protection, friends and mentors when we could not, or when distance separated us. How generously God has provided.
Aaron was born with a gleam in his eye; an enthusiasm for life; a curiosity about new things; a gift for making, nurturing and keeping friends. He didn't always have things easy, but he used the tough things in life to make him a better person. He chose optimism over defeatism. He made deliberate choices about how to live his life. I was touched when we were going through his things last week and found journals filled with his goals, dreams, philosophies; notebooks filled with his passions. He was a life-long student of art, music, cooking, Spanish, other cultures. I'm grateful for the many trips and things we did together – things I think were unique for a mother and son – that he chose to do them with me. I know others feel the same way.
I'm proud of the person Aaron was becoming. We will miss his future. We will miss him at family holidays and the meals he and Nathan would have created and prepared. We had great hopes for Aaron's family and the children he will never have. We wanted Aaron and Nathan to be friends for life.
Although Aaron's journey was short, it was rich. HE made it rich. He lived more in his 33 years than most of us live in a lifetime. Aaron's spirit will live in each of us, but we will desperately miss his physical presence, his touch, his voice, his e-mails. There will always be a hole in our hearts.
Thank you, Aaron, for the life you shared with us. You were more than a son. You were my friend. I miss you. We miss you.
Rebecca Hopf
Aaron's Mom