Each time I watch this video, it touches my heart deeply. In 2012, I was visiting my brother in Michigan when I got a call from an old friend. She asked me to help her friend Pat create a video. Pat was nearing the end of her battle with cancer and wanted to leave a message for the world on YouTube.
As I listened to my friend’s request, I got a tingle up my spine. A few years before, we had lost our dear sister Pat very suddenly. The next week when I met Pat, I was struck by her strong similarity with my sister Pat. Both Pats had a radiant positive personality that filled the room with joy. Both Pats left this world entirely too early, at about the same age. I felt honored to be asked to make her recording.
As we discussed her project, it was clear that Pat had everything planned out in detail. She wanted her video message to be delivered to her friends and family at her funeral. In addition, she wanted her message to be publicly available on YouTube for anyone who might stumble across it. We scheduled the best time for her. Then all I had to do was to press the record button. One take was all it took.
During the recording session, when Pat said “many people die everyday without the ability to tell their friends and family how much they love them,” a chill ran up my spine. My sister Pat had passed away suddenly without being able to say good-bye. This now felt like a special message from her.