Prologue
It has been 10 lonely years, and I still have a difficult time finding a way to talk about it. Life seems to play its silly little games with you, hoping to teach you some miraculous lesson. However, in the end, all it leaves you with is despair and sadness. Today though, life is throwing its hardest lesson at me. I have to muster up all the old emotions and memories, for the honor of the man I once loved with all my heart.
It’s funny how people never want to dedicate anything to you until you are gone. Here I am, sitting at home, trying to write a dedication speech. Across the room from me is a handsome young man who resembles him so much. Jonathan, his son, loves video games, so, he is over there laughing and giggling. He doesn’t understand what I am trying to do. I, on the other hand, am trying my best not to cry my eyes out. This is more difficult than I ever thought it would be.
Two months ago, the University of Florida contacted me and said that they wanted to name their new Performing Arts building after my late husband. I was awe-struck to say the least. It touched my heart when they told me how the students of the University came up with the idea. I never thought that his name would live on like this. I never had any idea how much of an impact he made on so many lives. But, now, just hours away from the ceremony, I still haven’t written my speech.
As I sit here, I wonder what there is to say about the man that so many people in this world admired. His passion for life and his amazing ability to “live life to the fullest” spoke enough for him. But today, in this dedication speech, I have to say something to awe the crowd. I could probably say that he was a charming, caring and loving man. Or, I could tell everyone that he was full of life and was one of the most talented men of his time. Yet, all that is common knowledge. Why would they need me to say that?
I guess the best thing to do is just sit here, and start at the beginning. Maybe once I put all the pictures back together, and remember all the wonderful moments we had in our lives, my heart will tell me what the right thing to say is. So, I suppose, this is the only thing I can do.
My name is Sunshine, and this is the story of my husband…Nickolas Gene
Carter.