We lived in Delano for 15 out of the 16 years of Erik's life. Delano has one of the biggest 4th of July celebrations in the state. Our whole town is taken over by people! Erik loved it. About 2 weeks before the carnival arrived in town he talked about it. When he was younger we would drive by the park almost every night to see if they were pulling into town and starting to set up. He got so excited. We live one block from the parade route. Longest parade in Minnesota for the 4th. It lasts easily over 2 hours. The 4th was very exciting to him, it was the first thing he anticipated after school was out. As he got older and was able to ride his bike around town with his friends or walk around, i never saw him around this time. Heck they would go down to the carnival wether they had money or not, just to hang out! If they did have money i was gone quickly and he was asking ME for more. One year Erik got addicted to this quarter game down there. He spent well over $100 on it. Then he brought me down there and got me addicted. Oh my, not good. lol He collected different kinds of knives and that is what he always got each year at the carnival, a new knife. The best thing that ever happend to Erik around the 4th is the year he found the Delano 4th of July medallion. They gave clues on the local radio station, and each morning there was a new clue. The 2nd day of clues, we thought we knew where it was and sure enough we were right. It was up by the high school in an outdoor concert setting under a rock. We were looking and Erik yelled "I found it" i said "You did not, your lying" here he comes with a huge grin on his face holding it up and said "Ya wanna make a bet." I couldn't believe it! He won $1000 in prizes, was in the paper, he was on cloud 9! Getting tears thinking about that, he was SO HAPPY! So the town is full of the hustle and bustle of people for the 4th again. You know your moving on with your grief when it doesn't make you sad, it makes you smile to think back to wha used to be. Well, it still makes you sad, but you just don't cry as much about things. We drove past Evan's house the other night, Erik's best friend, and all his friends were there hanging out for the 4th weekend. I imagined Erik was there watching over them all, laughing at how silly they all act. Below is a picture of Erik's medallion. Miss ya buddy, love you so much. Thanks for great memories. Mom
Its never easy / To Say Good~bye I just read your note on what that lady said to you about being so young, I guess she meant no harm but I see your point completly~I having lost my Grandmother not to long ago at the age of 87 I am 43. I miss my Grandmother & My heart is just as broken as anyone who is close to someone & has lost them...I've had so many people say "well she lived a long life"...like that made it ok??? She was a vibrant woman drove, danced & bowled til the day she suddenly died...I had my grandmother in my life everyday for 43 years...now she was gone...I was like well what do I do I cant carry on without her, who will I talk to everyday, who will help me with my life problems, who will be there if I fall....My world crumbled the minute I got that awful phone call & when people say to me OH SHE LIVE A LONG LIFE I say back NOT LONG ENOUGH FOR ME...I wanted her longer I needed her longer & my heart has a void in it no one can understand or fill....I carry on its not easy, my heart breaks for parents that lose a child I truly feel that has got to be the most awful pain in the world but young or old it doesnt matter they will always be your baby...I want to tell you I commend you on how strong you've been since the passing of your son, It isn't fair when you outlive your children, Life to me don't seem fair alot, but we live a honest, giving life & we will be rewarded when we reach Heaven & reunite with those we love...God Bless You~Godspeed Close
Memorial Day at the cemetery... / Mandy (Eriks Mom )Read >>
Memorial Day at the cemetery... / Mandy (Eriks Mom )
Today we went out to the cemetery to make sure everything looked ok at Eriks gravesite and to water plants. A lady was there that works here in Delano, i have known of her for years. She was walking around with another lady. They noticed us and came over. She noticed the music notes on his marker and thought it was neat how they can put his picture on the marker like they can do now. The lady that was with her didn't say much i didn't know her, but right before they left she shook her head and said, "So sad, that's so young."
Later today i found myself thinking about it again, and realized i'm never going to say that to someone else. I know she meant nothing by it at all, she was just trying to find something to say. Yes, Erik was young, and it's horrible, but what age is a good age to lose someone? We walked around a little bit at the cemetery and saw a freshly dug grave of an older lady. I thought, does that make it any better? Does that family hurt less because she is old? The cemetery was beautiful, it always is around memorial day, and i just thought, all these people have family that hurt, cry and are in pain from losing them. From stillborn to 100+ it's sad, it's horrible and it's final. Death never rears it's ugly head at a "good age" or at a "good time" for the loved ones that are left behind. I have had a lot of co-workers lose parents lately, and people will say after they find out how old they were "Oh well she was 86, she lived a long life then." Like it's ok. For the family and loved ones left behind, 150 years old still is not ok.
So a lady being very nice today, taught me a life lesson. She didn't even know it, and that's ok. I already knew it in a way, but today showed me to make sure i'm more sensitive to it in the future when someone i know loses a loved one.
God bless, and to everyone who has lost someone, they will never be forgotten, not on Memorial Day, or any day....
They never miss a beat.... / Mandy (Eriks Mom )Read >>
They never miss a beat.... / Mandy (Eriks Mom )
Happy Birthday Erik....
After school was let out, and before 3:30 even rolled around, Brittany and T.J were knocking at the door. They just came and hung out for a few hours, just to see how we were and just to make sure we knew they didn't forget. Your friends, never miss a beat. They are so thoughtful just like you were, and i know that is why you were so particular about picking your friends. You surrounded yourself with people like you. They will always be in our life, you don't have to worry about that, they want to be in ours, and they have showed us that a million times over. You may have been taken from us, but god makes sure we are given blessings 10 times over dosen't he. Years from now we will probably have more kids and little ones running around then we ever thought! LOL I love you Erik! I'm sure we will see more of your friends today. I love you and even though your gone, i keep getting reasons to be so proud of you! Love you!
Happy Birthday / Dan Kunkel (Freind)
I still remeber that day like it was yesterday. In class thinking where you were. I still think of what life would be with you today, i probally would have gotten you a job with me at the non-unoin job. It is sweet working for my uncle and not going to school and paying through the nose to get it. I will never forget the memories that we created and all of the good times we had. GEMINI twins 4 LIFE!! Close
I have mixed feelings about your birthday now. I know you would have turned 19 this year, and I wonder what you would be doing with your life at 19 years old. I don’t know you at 19 though. You will forever be 16 to me. Sure I can wonder what you would be doing with every year that passes, but really, I don’t go there very often. It’s hard to picture those things in my mind when I have no idea what they would be. I don’t know if birthdays are celebrated in heaven, in my mind I don’t think so, but I wish you happy birthday anyway. I think the day we go home to be with god is more of a celebration and a “birthday” than anything we know here on earth. I know some people that have lost their children still celebrate their birthday. For me, It would be like celebrating something that you were never meant to be here for. We don’t know what gods plans are for our lives. You can’t miss out on something you were never meant to have. Of course it’s still very sad that you are not here. You and I were so close, and had such a close bond. I really feel gods plan is very obvious, but many times we don’t want to see it, because it’s not always pleasant for us here on earth. You were here for 16 years, and because of the way you were killed, the issue of reckless driving was brought into our lives, and in telling your story, we will save other lives. I do see and understand the big picture, and as horrible and unfair as it is, it can’t always happen to someone else. Maybe you were put here on earth for many reasons, but in gods plan, to bring awareness to reckless driving and in the end to help save other lives. I know it’s hard for people to wrap their minds around accepting that, because of what we have lost, but what if that IS the way things work here on earth? So many things that happen don’t make sense to us, all the things we see in the news. What if there is a greater reason we are just not allowing ourselves to see? All I know is you were a great kid, a good role model, everyone liked you and you were so respectful to everyone. It is one thing to be a parent, but it’s another to be able to hold your head up high and be proud of who and what your child stood for. Thanks for allowing me to be able to do that. You have been gone for over 2 years now, and STILL you are making an impact everyday on this earth. People talk about you, ask about you, remember you, and honor who you were. There is something to be said for the impact you make while you are alive, but when your still making one long after you are gone, THAT says a lot about who you were. Happy Birthday Erik, I love you and miss you!
Love, Mom
P.S..anything I do get sad about and feel I will miss out on now that you are gone, your friends seem to be very good at bringing it into our lives somehow. How you ended up having such great friends that reflect who you were is really something else. Close
I hope everyone had a good Easter weekend. I know that Erik was looking down at all of us on that day, listening to all of our prayers and blessings for him and about him. Also, having him think that we all are still thinking about him to this day. We all do miss him everyday.
Heaven/ Dale Henderson (Step Father )
Erik God bless you, i just wanted to wish you a happy easter. I bet it is Beautiful in heaven, Thanks for teaching some things to me that I needed to learn many years ago. Say hi to my mom and of course the most important person Jesus. Your mom and i have a great love to share and to help us through the times until we all meet again.
Happy Easter Erik / Auntie Lisa (Aunt)
Erik, I've been thinking about you all day. I just wanted to wish you a happy Easter. I picture that heaven will be full of Easter lilies. I sit and wonder if you have skits or plays there reinacting Jesus rising from the dead. I don't know why I was thinking of that. Just wondering what you do in heaven on days like this. Or maybe there's an Easter parade and you're playing your sax. Strange thoughts your Auntie has sometimes. lol Anyway, just wanted to say I love you and am thinking of you. xoxo Oh and Frau Splooshin' Sploshin' Sperik.
Mandy and Dale, love you both very much. Have a blessed and happy Easter. Can't wait to see you both again soon.
Wishing you a Happy Easter in heaven Erik! I'm sure it's wonderful there. Easter for me is the religious meaning and that is about it. That's what is most important anyway. :) Honestly, Easter is my least favorite holiday in all other aspects. The bunnies, the eggs, the baskets...yea, not my thing! I really don't decorate the house for it either. Ok, I have ONE bunny on the kitchen windowsill, even he is borderline ugly. Our house is decorated too primitive to have all that pastel stuff in it! LOL Secretly I dreaded the decorating of eggs and all that stuff. Of course I went all out when Erik was young, but UGH, I just was never really into it. NOW YOU KNOW ERIK! The secret is out! You never knew though, I always tried to make everything special for you. I don't HATE it, it's just a holiday I could take or leave as far as all the traditional things behind it. I will say however, Dale is getting a Easter basket and he doesn't even know it! I do get sucked into missing buying stuff for you Erik, so then he get's something instead. He will love it. Then I can get him back for Valentines Day!! We decided to just go out that day, and not buy one another anything. We feel like we have everything already. Yea, well he didn't listen and bought me something anyway. PAYBACK! So anyway, Easter for me is the true meaning behind it, and that is the way it should be. We are doing exactly what we want tomorrow, which is also the way it should be. I'm sure heaven is beautiful this time of year and always. I love you Erik!
Memory: Even though Easter wasn't my favorite holiday, I remember how each year we would try to decorate the eggs bigger and better than the year before. They always came out with some kit even cooler than the previous year. I think Erik liked the year we did the swirled eggs the best.
Tributes and Condolences
Mom
I just read your note on what that lady said to you about being so young, I guess she meant no harm but I see your point completly~I having lost my Grandmother not to long ago at the age of 87 I am 43. I miss my Grandmother & My heart is just as broken as anyone who is close to someone & has lost them...I've had so many people say "well she lived a long life"...like that made it ok??? She was a vibrant woman drove, danced & bowled til the day she suddenly died...I had my grandmother in my life everyday for 43 years...now she was gone...I was like well what do I do I cant carry on without her, who will I talk to everyday, who will help me with my life problems, who will be there if I fall....My world crumbled the minute I got that awful phone call & when people say to me OH SHE LIVE A LONG LIFE I say back NOT LONG ENOUGH FOR ME...I wanted her longer I needed her longer & my heart has a void in it no one can understand or fill....I carry on its not easy, my heart breaks for parents that lose a child I truly feel that has got to be the most awful pain in the world but young or old it doesnt matter they will always be your baby...I want to tell you I commend you on how strong you've been since the passing of your son, It isn't fair when you outlive your children, Life to me don't seem fair alot, but we live a honest, giving life & we will be rewarded when we reach Heaven & reunite with those we love...God Bless You~Godspeed 
I love you and even though your gone, i keep getting reasons to be so proud of you! Love you!
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