Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life.

The four years I spent on my high school swim team were four of the best years of my life.

I learned lessons and developed friendships that I carry with me to this day.

It’s pretty common for girls’ swim teams to do just about everything together socially, especially during swim season.

One of my first memories of hanging out with the girls on the team was when I was a freshman. We all went over to one of the senior captain’s houses, and we watched the movie Purple Rain.

After that, we pretty much all bought the soundtrack to the movie, and we listened to it on every single bus ride to every single away swim meet.

For four years we listened to that cassette tape. (Yeah, it was that long ago). Some of the hardest times I have ever laughed in my life were on those bus rides.

And every time I hear When Doves Cry or Purple Rain or Darling Nikki or I Would Die 4 U or Let’s Go Crazy it takes me right back to those days.

Later, I’d fall in love with all his other songs.

When Number 3 was really little, he loved Prince. His favorite song was Raspberry Beret. He’d ask me to play it over and over and over again. He loved it so much that he almost dressed up as Prince for Halloween when he was three.

That song brings back so many great memories from a different era of my life.

Today I took the kids to the Bronx Zoo. In the car on the way home we heard Kiss. Of course, as all kids do, they asked if it was a boy or a girl singing. They were all sure it was  girl and were in disbelief when I told them it was a boy.

And then when the song was over, the DJ on the radio casually mentioned that Prince had died.

Wait….What?

Surely it was a joke. A hoax. Just like that Morgan Freeman rumor.

But then they mentioned it again.

It was confirmed.

No.

NO.

David Bowie was a blow. Glenn Fry was hard to stomach.

But Prince?

Prince was not supposed to die today.

Prince was not supposed to die for a long time.

And tonight I feel like a tiny piece of me died today, too.

Rest In Peace, Prince Rogers Nelson. I’m really going to miss you.

But I still have your music.

Thank you for your music. Thank you for making me dance. Thank you for making me sing. Thank you for making me smile. Thank you for helping me make memories with my friends and my children.

And most of all, thank you for being a huge part of the soundtrack of my life.

 

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