song analysis

You were the bright light,

Always warm, always shining.

You kept me up all night,

Sitting up in bed, laughing and smiling.

But now you're gone, and all I see,

Is you not here, standing beside me

 

You, you left us all too soon.

And now we're here, hoping it's not true.

 

Great times around the park,

Running fast, scoring goals.

We loved to play all day.

Soccer balls bouncing, dirt and grass flying.

The dirty days were all too fun,

But now there's no one playing here with me.

 

You, you left us all too soon.

And now we're here hoping it's not true.

 

Then the cough came again,

Persistent as hell, never abating.

Then you were diagnosed.

But all you did, was stand there and laugh.

You're hopes were high, but not the odds,

It finally took you, and tears were flowing.

 

You, you left us all too soon.

And now we're here, hoping it's not true.

 

Hoping it's not true.

Hoping it's not……true.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            Allie was the best cousin you could have. He would do anything for anyone. He was the classic Kaua'i high school senior that everyone on the island knew as the one always willing to help. Whenever he came to 'Oahu, he didn't spend any time going out late at night clubbing or surfing, he was hanging out with family and playing with all of the little cousins, including me. Family was really important, and Allie cared about everyone. If Aunty needed help on the North Shore planting grass, he would drive or take the bus to go and help. If Grandpa needed help repainting his house, Allie would bring paintbrushes and tarp, ready to start the job.

            Allie's attitude towards life was so great, it seemed like he was this shining light. He was always warm towards everyone, and radiated positive energy wherever he went. Sometimes during the middle of the night, I would dream of something that reminded me of a memory with Allie, and I would wake up and start laughing. It could've been even the smallest memory, eating shave ice while running in the park, going to the movies and buying a ticket just to go in and play Dance Dance Revolution. Even the memories than seem insignificant to others meant so much to me and Allie. He was just the kind of guy that was always positive, no matter what situation he was in.

            Soccer was one thing that Allie and I shared that no other cousins did. We loved to play all the time, whether it was raining or blazing hot. I wasn't any good, and he was on his varsity high school team as a starter, but he was always patient and willing to help me get better. One of my favorite memories with Allie was during the 40 days and 40 nights of rain. We decided it would be really fun to play soccer in the rain, so we headed outside with a soccer ball, shoes, and no umbrella in sight. It was pouring so hard, we couldn't see a foot in front of us, but we kept on kicking and sliding around in the grass and mud. By the end of the day, our white shirts were brown, our cleats were dripping in muck, and we didn't have an inch of clean skin. We were so dirty, my mom made us stand in the rain and try to get clean before coming into the house, lay down piece after piece of newspaper as we walked in, and stay in our two showers for at least an hour trying to scrub mud and grass out of our ears and noses.

            One day Allie started having mad coughing fits. A week, a month went by, and the cough wouldn't go away. He never wanted to see the doctor, he thought it was time wasted that could be used for something besides himself. My family and I were all concerned for him, so we forced him to go and see the doctor. We all thought it was just a bad cold that wouldn't go away, but we weren't expecting what the doctor gave us. Allie was diagnosed with cancer in his chest. We were all crushed to hear what we thought was a cough turned into something really serious. We were all shocked out of our minds, but when we looked over to Allie, he just smiled. We all knew the odds of Allie beating the cancer were really low, but even in the grim situation, Allie was being the same person he always was, the optimistic positive glowing light that made everyone around him feel good.

            Allie started chemotherapy on 'Oahu, and all of the doctors were hoping the treatments would help. But treatment after treatment, nothing was working. Even though we all knew what was about to happen, we didn't want to believe it was true. The greatest cousin ever couldn't go down like this, not after all that he has done for us. But the thought of Allie, even after the grim diagnosis, made the situation a little brighter. Then, Allie started going downhill really quickly. The last time I saw him, he knew we wouldn't see each other again. He was flying back to Kaua'i to be with all of his friends on the island he loved most. I was crying, but as stupid as I looked, I could still see Allie's bright face. I knew that even though I would never see him again, I would always remember Allie, the Kaua'i High senior that was surrounded by a bright shining light, always willing to help, even when he was faced with a battle he couldn't win.