heaven has a new angel.....

a week ago today, my nephew owen was killed in a car accident. he was sixteen

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i have tried to write about him, my sister and her amazing family, the funeral, the stories, the tears, the faith, their pastors, the praying, the signs we keep finding that remind us of owen and simply the hole that's been created in our family because of his death, but the words just aren't coming out right.

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instead, i'd love to share with you what pastor george talked about at owen's burial. he told us to notice how all the headstones in the cemetery have something in common,
"the day you arrive here on earth and the day you leave this earth" but that that isn't what matters. 

what matters is the "dash" in between.

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he went on to talk about how much owen had truly accomplished during his "dash" here on earth and that even though it was only a sixteen year dash, it was filled to the brim with genuine goodness and love and so many other things that many of us might not ever accomplish.

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~the message~

you've only got one "dash." make it a good and memorable one.

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to all of you who have already taken the time to send me a personal note, thank you.

your love and prayers have been amazing.

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