Steven George Normington

Dear Steve: There is a book my children love and request called "Love You Forever," about a Mother who sneaks into her son's room to hold him while he is sleeping, beginning when he is an infant, and continuing even after he is a grown-man, and while she rocks him she sings him a little love song. The words go "I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living, my baby you'll be." I want to sing to you too, but the words go like this ... "I'll love you forever, I'll...

Dearest Steve: I have been seeing this picture of you on your Guest Book, smiling as you sit next to Mom, for the last year, and I just love it. I would be so happy if someone in the family would send me a copy of this picture. I am still working on completing the scanning and making of discs with the rest of the pictures I have, and will send them when they are finished. You look so handsome in this picture on the Guest Book, and I wish I could see the entire thing. Also, dear Tim, if...

Dearest Steve: I have been so busy with my children that I have not had the opportunity to write to you in several days. Pastor Paul gave the most amazing sermon on Memorial Day, and the topic ministered so deeply to all of us who have had a loved one pass away. His sermon was about what death is, and he said that after more than sixty years as a pastor he has learned a lot about the passing away process, as well as Heaven. Here is what he said (I have wanted to share this with all of...

Sweet Steve: My mind and heart are so full of you these days! I have a lot to tell you, and will write tomorrow (God-willing) to share all that is in my heart. Something strange has been happening lately ... the tiniest details of our life together just keep popping up and I can see them in technicolor detail. Many days I actually don't know what day it is (!), because of being at home with my kids so much, and I am not up on current events, or very sharp when it comes to anything...

Dearest Steve: My family in MN is planning a time this July to travel to Iron River to honor you. My Mom and I will travel from Arizona and join Uncle Bill & Aunt Shari, Aunt Linda, Molly, Libby, and Molly's new baby, Flora Marie. The family just feels so strongly that we need to come together and pay our respects. I don't come from a close family like yours, as you know, but how beautiful it is that you, only you, could bring such a disparate group of people together, and that they would...

Dear Steve,

I don't know quite how to put into words the impact that you had on my early teens and twenties. What a wonderful friend you were. I remember meeting you at Camp Chetek when you were 13. You had such a big contagious smile. What fun times! Then when I was in college and your mom would invite me to lunch on Sundays. Tim and I would do the dishes while you somehow always got out of it. :o) Your family always treated me like I belonged - and my parents thought the...

Dearest Steve: Yesterday was your 47th birthday, and you celebrated in Heaven with your Mom, Dad, many relatives and friends, and countless saints. I thought of you continually, and held your family up in prayer before the Lord, asking for a special measure of His grace and peace. I wanted to write to you, but two of my kids were sick, so we spent a lot of time in the bathroom, and the rest of the time was spent cleaning up unmentionable messes :). Little kids get some yucky bugs, and...

Dearest Steve: Today I planted petunias with my children in the backyard. We made a container garden, using whatever we could find, including old toys (whatever would hold dirt and flowers). I remember how you used to stop at roadside stands in California and bring home flowers for me. My favorites are daisies. They remind me of you because they are sturdy, sunny, they grow anywhere, and they always appear to be smiling. Oh dear Steve, how often my thoughts turn to you. Only Jesus...

Dearest Steve: The most amazing thing happened this morning and I wanted to share it with you and your family. I was sitting outside drinking coffee this morning while my children played on the swing-set, and the morning was so exquisitely beautiful that I cried because it made me think of you. My 7-year-old son, Roger, said "Mommy, you know that he's not really dead, it's just his earth suit that died. He's alive in Heaven, Mom, because dying is just like falling asleep and then you wake...