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| More than 300 people gathered to celebrate Julia |
The service was led by close family friend and pastor Darrel Lynn, who had officiated at Carrie and Glen's wedding nearly ten years ago.
Going to music class was one of Julia's very favorite things, and music was likewise an important part of the service. Colleen, our much-loved music teacher, led us all in singing together: Shenandoah, Moon, Moon Moon, This Little Light of Mine and You Are My Sunshine.
Both of Julia's grandmothers, her two god-mothers, and her parents came up to speak. Here are the texts of their speeches:
Grammie Jen:
As our families think about Julia we are sad her cute little self is no longer with us, but before long those moments of sadness quickly turn into smiles. She reminds us of Maria, a character in The Sound of Music. What do you feel about a little girl like Julia? She certainly kept us entertained with her precocious little smile and her darling little dances. She was a moonbeam you couldn't hold in your hand! Even a little girl who dances on moonbeams has to clean up. It makes me think of how often she would be in the shower with one of us and that little girl was a hot water hog! Her love of water didn't stop with her shower. I remember taking Julia to the pool in Folsom this summer. She relished in the fact that every pre-teen and teen loved to push the hot water button for her so she could have more hot water. Before long she found the hair dryers in the dressing room! Carrie and I couldn't believe how quickly Julia organized all the little girls to keep pushing the button so she could stand under the hairdryer and have the warm air pour over her. To say she had a way about her is an understatement.
She would often shock us with her knowing smile or her ability to something we had no idea that she was capable of. One time when Glen was up cleaning gutters on the roof, Amanda came running into the house to tell Mommy that Julia was going up to the roof.We didn't know she could climb a ladder, but when Carrie crept out quietly, so as not to scare her, Julia was just getting to the roof. Luckily, Daddy quickly scooped her off the roof! Such a minx. She was so excited to do big girl things like trying to put on Amanda's roller skates or trying to get on her bike or just march around the house in boots, singing the boots song! I am certain that So You Think You Can Dance was in her future. She performed the cutest dances, wiggling those tiny hips and shaking her head in her special way.
You could always corral Julia with a good story from a favorite book. She loved to hear certain stories over and over, like the one about Nicholas the Bunny. Her grandpa and she loved Red Hat, Blue Hat and that silly turkey! Our all time favorite was the Belly Button book. Yes we had a special love for the bebo. Kissing little pea toes and bebos became a loving ritual for Julia and her Grammie! Anytime we were in a store, Julia charmed everyone, making them smile when they saw her. It is what you do when you are drawn to a beautiful light.
She truly loved her big sister Amanda, all her grandparents, aunts and uncles and all her friends, especially her Oliver, Finn, Francesca and Alonso. Names that were so adorable when she said them. She had a love of four legged friends too! Every time I see a Chihuahua, I can't help but think about Rocko and Julia chewing up carrots so she could spit them out for him to eat.
On Friday morning we saw a beautiful purple hyacinth poking its little head through the dirt in the garden. Julia helped plant those bulbs this past fall. Like the perennial hyacinth, Julia will continue to grow in my heart, today and all around, always with me on this new journey. I know that every time I look at the moon, a hot air balloon, or a purple butterfly, I will definitely feel her with me. The most wonderful thing is that she sure knew that she was loved.
Nonna Carole:
There
is something very special about being a grandparent. It is hard to explain until it happens to
you. I know those of you who are
grandparents know just what I mean. I
married Glen’s dad about 8 ½ years ago and one of the nice outcomes is the
children we both got to add to our families. We went from 2 children each, to
four together. There were only 3
grandchildren then, but before we knew it there were 6. Julia was the baby. When the first born comes into the family,
there is such a sense of excitement, newness. For a few years this child gets all of the
attention. When the second child comes, grandparents
get to help with the care of the first born while mom and dad bond and get to
know this new addition to the family.
This is how it was when Julia was born.
Amanda was so excited about her new baby sister, loved to help with her
and show her off to anyone who would look and listen. But she loved having a grandparent with empty
arms who could read to her, take her to the park without waiting, and get her a
snack RIGHT NOW. I bided my time. I was coming up each month to babysit a few
days when Carrie and Glen worked the same days.
These were busy days with a toddler and a baby. We were busy each day, taking Julia to school
so mom could nurse her at lunch time, going to Whole Foods to see what snacks
they had out, explaining to Amanda why Nonna had a talking lady in the car
otherwise we would get lost. Then my
time came! One word-School. I would finally get that special time you get
right away with the first born, but have to wait for with the second. It was just Julia and I. What a special treat! What a special girl. Alone, she talked more! No competition from anyone else, it was just
her and I. She loved to ride in my
sling, which I needed for the walk from the car when dropping off and picking
up big sister. She would sit on the hood
of the car scoop her head down and under the sling and just about put the thing
on by herself.
While we were together, she would point out
things around her, whether it was a bird, plane or hot air balloon, she was
aware of it all. Every visit we did
bath time. Wow, could she strip of those
clothes fast when I just said one word-bath!
She would be in the tub, toys out before I made it down the
hallway. She would be the first one in
and the last one out.
She
quickly became a seasoned gardener. I
just had to turn on the hose and she knew what to do with it early on. She was just walking when she could pick a
ripe strawberry, tomato, weeds and sometimes the whole plant. She took great joy in being outside, a girl
after my own heart. One of our favorite
things was going on an adventure, taking her out in the wagon and walking
around the neighborhood. We played “I Went Walking” and “Going on a Bear Hunt”. She
could fill that wagon with leaves in no time flat! Her nap time was taken cuddled on my chest or
learning against me on the swing. What
grandma does not love that! It will remain in my heart forever.
Even
when Julia was in the hospital, struggling with her illness she kept her sense
of humor. She showed strength and
determination. It became a game, who
could get her to smile and it was a special day when the smile was so big we
got to see her teeth! Every moment I spent
with this little angel was precious. She
was full of personality and a joy to be with.
I thank Carrie and Glen for giving me the opportunity to be part of both
of their girl’s lives, to be their Nonna.
Now I know Julia is in the arms of her other grandma, Glen’s mother
Diane and sister, Jeanne. She is our
forever angel and will continue to be loved by them and all of us here.
Tia Krista:
So Carrie & I tried to
multitask one day by talking while keeping half an eye on the kids. We were in the back yard when Julia disappeared around the corner for a minute.
She came back chomping on a piece of watermelon. “That’s weird,” Carrie said to me. “We must have left that out after lunch yesterday.” Things are a lot less alarming with kid #2. A few minutes later she showed up with a cup of water. Then half a sandwich! Looking back, we really should have checked what was up after the watermelon, right!?!
I also have cherished memories from before Julia was born. Amanda wished again and again that the new baby would be born on July 6th so they could share a birthday. On the 7th, I was on the phone with Carrie when her labor got so strong that she had to hang up so she & Glen could bring Julia into this world. And even though Amanda didn’t get to share her birthday like she’d hoped for, she took her role as big sister seriously right from the start and loved Julia so, so much. Even when Julia was a tiny little baby, if I didn’t greet her immediately when I saw them Amanda would correct me. “Don’t forget Julia!” She would say. I didn’t and I won’t.
The incredible details of her life have opened hearts and expanded the circle of those who love her so that it now reaches well beyond immediate family and friends. I mean, all you have to do is look around to see it. Each of you in this room (and so many who aren’t in attendance today) have made it your purpose to care for Julia and surround us all in your love. Meals show up, bills get paid, hugs, songs and stories are shared.
So knowing the generous spirit that you bring with you today, I’d like you to ask your help with something. If you feel comfortable doing so, please reach forward and touch the shoulder of someone in front. This way, we can ALL feel the power of our connection and direct our love up here to the Kings as I share a blessing.
Carrie, Glen, Amanda and all of us who need these words today:
May the light of Love surround you.
its power protect you.
Its presence watch over you.
And may you know that
wherever you are, Love is
This and every day.
Amen
I was up next:
I’m
Francesca, Julia and Amanda’s other godmother, and mom to Julia’s good buddies
Oliver and Finn. The other day, Oliver and I were talking about Julia, and he
told me something remarkable. He said that maybe our souls are mostly love the
way our bodies are mostly water. In that case, Julia’s soul is particularly
well-nourished, because her life was one that was blessed with so much love,
from those early days when she never seemed to leave her snuggly perch in the
Ergo carrier to her transition to a mischievous, independent toddler who
delighted in making her family laugh.
When Julia
was born, Amanda blossomed as an amazing, compassionate, patient and nurturing
big sister. Julia let Oliver practice his big brother skills on her too.
Fiercely protective of their Julia, Oliver and Amanda jumped through
hoops—sometimes literally-- to make her laugh, and mostly tolerated the sudden
destruction of their projects when she came crawling through. Julia was never
daunted by the bigger kids, but held her own with a spiritedness that was
characteristic of her strong sense of self.
Then along came Finn, and Julia got her turn to be the big one. She
loved to feed Finn whatever she was supposed to be eating, and he never said no
to her snacks. They loved to hide under the covers together and chase the cats
all over the house. Julia taught Finn her special silly walk and they cracked
each other up trying it out together.
Watching
these four kids together, through thick and thin, has been an incredible privilege
for me. The love they have for each other, their empathy, the joy of their play,
the volume of their arguments and the swiftness of their forgiveness—it’s
pretty amazing to behold. I know they will carry the gift of that love in their
hearts always, just as Julia carries their love for her.
Love is something that we all know about and feel, but it became more alive and real to me when I became a mother.
On July 6,
2007, Amanda was born and I was euphoric. I was thanking all the hospital staff
and was acting as if I had just won the Oscars. She was perfect and amazing. I
loved her so much that I was worried about having enough love for another
child. Luckily, I had nothing to worry about. Love is strange that way. It just
keeps growing.
On July 7,2010, just hours after
celebrating Amanda's 3rd birthday, Julia Kay King was born. It was
another amazing and perfect experience. Glen, Amanda, My mom, Francesca, and
two midwives were all there as we welcomed Julia into the world, our family and
home. She wasted no time and got straight to nursing.
I love being
with my family. We are outside going on walks, hikes, bike rides, and
adventures as often as we can. We read stories till we can't see straight. We
work in the garden together. We all eat oatmeal and applesauce. We love to
camp. Many times, we all slept in the
same bed together. At least some of us slept. Amanda helped Julia with her
potty training by bringing her bottles of water to consume as she sat on the
pot. We sing and like to compete with each other in high stakes competitions
like who can get their pajamas on first. Sometimes we argue or get on each
other’s nerves, but we all know that we can count on each other and that we
love one another.
As most of
you know, Julia had been sick over the summer and was admitted to the hospital
in late October. There were a lot of ups and downs, celebrations and
disappointments. Julia, backed by the rest of us, fought hard and strong.
On January
24,2013, we realized that Julia's body was just too sick to go on. With the
help of an amazing hospital staff, Glen and I were able to hold her as she
passed. Then, Glen, the nurses, and our family, wheeled Julia and I into the
serenity garden so that her body could be outside once again. As I was riding
in a wheelchair holding my baby in my arms, I felt like a new mama full of
serenity and peace holding my baby. I believe that Julia's spirit lifted while
we were in the garden and went to hug her big sister, Amanda, as she was
playing at Ragel Park. Amanda and Julia love each other very much, and even
though Julia's no longer in her body, that love will continue to live on. While
Julia's death was not anything that I ever wanted to have happen, her life and
death were full of love, and that is perfect.
When Julia
became sick and was hospitalized, we were all so sad and worried. It was very
hard to be separated from each other, our routines, and our sense of family.
These months have been hard on our bodies, minds, and spirits. We don't know
what the future will bring. Fortunately for
Glen, Amanda, Julia, and I, our family was much bigger than just the
four of us.
Our parents,
brothers, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews and friends came out in
droves. Some of you waited with us through surgeries, some of you spent time
with Julia, some with Amanda, some with Glen or I. You have prayed for us,
helped us financially, supported us in so many ways. You fed us, and continue
to feed us both physically and spiritually. Your love is what has made this
time bearable and has held us up so far. Thank you for sharing your love with
us. It is an amazing thing to be the recipient of this love, and just to know
that it is possible. If there is one thing that I know for sure it is this:
Julia and our family are loved. I have no doubt that Julia is surrounded by
love and is very happy. I also know that although the rest of us are very sad,
angry, numb and numerous other things, I also know that we are loved and that
we will be happy too.
There is a
plaque that was always in my home growing up, and my parents gave it to me for
my home. It is going to be my touch stone to help me remember this love. This
poem by Emmet Fox, reads:
There is no difficulty that enough love will not conquer;
no disease that enough love will not heal;
no door that enough love will not open;
no gulf that enough love will not bridge;
no wall that enough love will not throw down;
no sin that enough love will not redeem…
It makes no difference how deeply seated may be the trouble,
How hopeless the outlook,
How muddled the tangle,
How great the mistake,
A sufficient realization of love will dissolve it all...
If only you could love enough you would be the happiest and
most powerful being in the world.
Glen spoke from the heart without writing it out ahead of time, so there are no written remarks to share here. Key to what he had to say was that what matters most is our relationships with each other.
In the weeks since Julia's passing, the strength of those relationships has proven itself as the community has continued to rally around the King family. Many delicious and love-filled meals have arrived at their house, a successful bake sale took place, a bench has been placed in her honor at Ragle Park, more than 700 stones (one for each day of her life) painted and placed around trees and flowers grown in her name. Children who never met her have sung in her memory. A branch of the local library is creating a book collection in her name. She is always on our minds and in our hearts.
