Somewhere, Over the Rainbow

On April 20, 2006, one of the most important people in my life, passed away. He was always there for me when I needed him. My Uncle Bob was one of my favorite people. A week before his death, my family spent a week in Cabo San Lucas with my uncle. He was a photographer and brought his camera with him. He taught me everything I needed to know about the camera and told me for my 16th birthday, he would give it to me. We spent an amazing week together laughing and talking and taking pictures. A week after we returned from vacation, I had an audition for SOCSA Showcase and I was singing Over the Rainbow, by Eva Cassidy. When I got home from my audition, my mom came into my room and told me that she had gotten a call from my aunt who had said that my uncle had passes away in his sleep. The song talks about finding a place where all your dreams come true, a place where the skies are always blue and “troubles melt away like lemon drops”. I know personally that my Uncle Bob accepted God into his life about a year before he died. When he passed, he finally went to that place where all your troubles are washed away. All his pain of old age and his problems from life were gone and he was forever perfect. Somewhere, over the rainbow, this place exists and I plan to get there someday. I did not get into that showcase, which I felt was an unfair decision, but that just furthers my knowledge that there is a place where good things happen and everything you worked so hard for works out. I sang the song at his memorial service and whenever I see a rainbow, I think of him. He was and still is one of the biggest influences in my life. I miss him every day, but I know that he is in a better place and that I will see him soon. Somewhere, over the rainbow, the land lies, where all my dreams will come true.