Wintersong

I've heard several times that Sarah wrote this for her mother, that had recently passed away, but here's what this song means to me:

When I was 11 and my younger brother was 7, one Christmas morning, just before the sun came up, we snuck out, before anybody else was awake. It'd snowed the night before, and we wanted to go to the big hill out behind our house and get first crack at the newly fallen snow with our sleds. We climbed to the top of the hill and me, being the big sister, said that I would go first, as he looked to me to be the brave one. I made my way down the big hill, and at the bottom I looked up, expecting him to still be hesitatingly deciding to come down or not. Instead, I saw him already halfway down the hill on his sled, his hands thrown in the air, and a smile and look of sheer joy on his face, laughing all the way down. I will never forget the way his face looked at that moment. It's a feeling I've spent my entire life trying to capture.

My brother died earlier this year from a car accident. I've always loved this song by Sarah, but this year it's particularly meaningful to me. Out all of our adventures together in the last 22 years, that one moment of watching him soar down the hill like nothing could ever hurt him remains the one that sticks out in my mind. You were always the brave one...you were always the brave one. I miss him so much that sometimes I think I'm dying inside. He was my baby brother and my best friend. I would give up anything to have just one more moment like that with him. I miss you more than words could say, A. I hope someday I will see you again, soaring down the hill with that look on your face, racing me to meet me at the bottom. Until then, I keep this moment by and by. Love you, always and forever. -Your Loving Sister, M.