I'm still crying.
Hello,
I just wanted to give you some of the back story to the dedication of "Terry's Song" that was performed last night in Hamilton. My 11-year-old daughter Grace was good friends and a basketball teammate of Sydney's, and as you can imagine Sydney's sudden death has been something Grace has tried to understand. She thought about the message in "Terry's Song" that love is a power greater than death, and so she decided that would be her sign. She would ask Bruce to sing "Terry's Song".
This was the fifth concert Grace has been to (what can I say, her Dad and I are fans) and I warned her that he has only played this song once before, but Grace was sure he would see the sign. This was the first time we were going to try to get into the pit; previously we had thought our girls were too little. We made it into the pit by 13 spots — 13 was Sydney's soccer number. The last person in the pit was bracelet number 311 — 11 was Sydney's basketball number. Grace's faith that the Big Man, Terry, and Danny were all working some Magic seemed to be well founded. In the pit it was strangers who held her up and put her on their shoulders to get the sign to Bruce.
The first time Bruce collected signs he passed her by; undaunted, Grace held up her sign again and this time Bruce leaned over and took it. I explained that he might not play the song, but he read the sign, and that may be enough... however something magical happened, and Bruce told a story of friendship, love, and hope, and dedicated that song to Sydney. Grace at that moment was the picture of pure joy; joy that so many people now knew how loved Sydney is by her friends.
Last night as we tucked our excited but exhausted little girl into bed she looked up at us and said, "Sydney is smiling tonight!" Sydney and a whole lot of other people, thanks to Bruce's kindness. If you could pass on a message to him somehow that he has made a little girl's grief at the loss of a friend a little lighter, knowing that love is a power greater than death, we would appreciate that very much.
Thank you,
Mary and Grace Mahler
Our profound pleasure.