Weezer “Island In The Sun”

You know how you can hear a song for years, and suddenly something happens in your life and you hear it completely differently? Like when you get dumped and instantly every love song you hear sounds like it was written especially for you?

“Island In The Sun” has had a nice association for years. When my wife was still my girlfriend, and she was living on the mainland and commuting to the Island to see me every weekend, I made a CD of all “Island” songs, that was exactly the length of a Steamship Authority ride. Our “Island In The Sun” was our little cocoon of new love.

Then that changed.

We had a wedding for my sister Amy a few weeks back. Amy had been battling brain cancer for over 7 years. She and her Adam had been holding off and holding off on having their wedding, hoping for a break in her health.

(***Quick political side note: As health care reform becomes part of the National discussion, please consider that Amy and Adam could not get legally married, because if they did, her insurer had the right to boot her off my family’s health insurance, leaving her uninsured and uninsurable. How can that possibly be right?***)

Unfortunately, Amy’s health news just got worse and worse this year, as doctor’s found a 5th brain tumor. Three different courses of chemotherapy were tried, to no avail. In the last few months, Amy slowly lost her ability to talk, to move her right side, to remember what happened a just few hours ago.

Knowing that her time was limited, we threw together a commitment ceremony, as a way for the families to acknowledge Amy and Adam’s love. My wife and I were in charge of putting together a slideshow of pictures of the couple.

We asked the bride-and-groom-to-be what song we should set the video to, and they both requested Weezer. I know that was one band they had in common (Adam likes a lot of country). Amy even has a Weezer/Kermit The Frog t-shirt.

If you ever have put together a slideshow or video or something of that kind, you know you listen to the song over and over and over again. And my wife and I couldn’t help but be struck by the lyrics, and realize that this wasn’t our song any longer; that it was Amy’s.

On an island in the sun
We'll be playing and having fun
And it makes me feel so fine
I can't control my brain

We'll run away together
We'll spend some time forever
We'll never feel bad anymore

Amy died yesterday. 32 years old.

Her last few weeks were so difficult, as she became incapacitated and unable to communicate even the simplest of needs, that when she passed, right before my eyes, I couldn’t help thinking of that last line. As I felt the weight leave her, and us, I knew that she’d never feel bad anymore.

Hear Weezer “Island In The Sun”

See Amy and Adam’s wedding slideshow here.