Aunt Joy (Trail Ridge Camp and Conference Center)

I wrote this song back in March when my Aunt Joy passed away. My Aunt Joy was diagnosed with esophageal cancer a year or so before that and ended up getting radiation and other cancer treatments. It was a hard fight for her, between not being able to eat and having to shave her head. One day she would be perfectly fine, and then the next she would be struggling. Eventually, in the beginning of 2026, she was told that she was getting much, much better.

In March, I went to New York on a school choir trip while my parents, aunt, and uncle went to Door County for a vacation. I was texting my mom every day, and then Tuesday came. My mom was not really texting me at all, and when she did, it was really weird and distant. I knew that something was wrong, but she just kept saying, “It’s fine” and “Nothing is wrong.”

So when I arrived back home on Saturday and got off my bus, my dad walked me to the car weirdly and slowly. The minute my mom got out of the car, she started bawling her eyes out and pulled me in close for a hug. I was confused, and I knew that something had to be wrong. I asked what was wrong, and she could barely make the words out: “Aunt Joy passed away while we were in Door County.”

I didn’t believe it. I backed out of my mom’s arms and said, “That’s not true.” It all just felt like a terrible dream. Eventually, I came to realize that it was not a dream.

I wrote this song because even though I struggled and I did not want to continue on with my life, I came to find that God is always with me no matter what. He has a plan for me, and even though sometimes it’s hard to believe, He’s always there.