Story Behind The Song

In the summer of 2004, I got the tragic news that my Uncle's wife had passed from injuries suffered in a car accident. I found the news especially tragic, as I remember very vividly when he lost his first wife to cancer. Though I had spent a lot of time around him and his first wife when I was a child, I had spent much less time around his second wife and their children. With the little time I had spent around them, it was easy to see she was an extraordinary person. She had an amazing way of making every person she came into contact with feel as though they were the most special person in the world. I attended the memorial and reception, along with many family members, some whom I had not seen in a long time and others I see more frequently. There was a lot I wanted to express to the family, but because they hardly knew me, it felt awkward. The frustration I felt haunted me on the long drive from Southern Oregon back to Portland. It was on the way home that I wrote this song. I failed to express my feelings directly to the family, so it came out this way. I feel like a bit of a cheat, claiming to have written these lyrics. It's more like I was am a journalist, reporting, nearly word for word, the strong sentiments I heard expressed that day. It was a story I felt very compelled to tell.

Song Description

The lyrics are from the perspective of a minister who suddenly, and tragically, loses his wife. His wife, an art teacher, dedicated her life to making everyone around her feel special, and loved. The loss is a tremendous blow, the kind that shakes the faith of the most devout, but he gets through by choosing to view the event in a way she had, somehow, prepared him to.

Lyrics

She saw beauty all around her
In all things and people too
And if you'd ever been around her
She brought it out in you

She shared her given talent
For creating works of art
And teaching those around her
To express what's in their heart

There were so many times she'd tell me
Come watch the sun go down
Then she'd point out all the colors
(And say) look what my friend has done

He speaks through his creations
Our greatest artist, as far as I'm concerned
And when I finally meet him
He's gonna let me have my turn

Now she's painting sunsets in the sky
Now she's painting sunsets using light
She's still painting sunsets in my life

I know it's not my place to question
What God will leave to fate
And I don't expect to understand
His choices as of late

If ever we have needed
The ones who shine so bright
And light our way through darkness
Does heaven need her more tonight

Now she's painting sunsets in the sky
Now she's painting sunsets using light
She's still painting sunsets in my life