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Jared passed into eternity due to complications from a rare Chordoma tumor this last Monday.
I'm not sure why I'm posting this except for the fact that once I heard that he wasn't doing well I couldn't get Jared and his family out of my mind.
I spent the weekend reading the blog dedicated to Jared's fight against his illness and was deeply touched from his parent's posts and by the support Jared and his family received from their family, friends, and the community at large.
I was also disappointed that I have been so focused on Utah politics and my own life issues that I did not know until this last Friday the struggles Jared and his family were going through. It made me feel a bit foolish for those times over the last year when I have been distressed or felt sorry for myself.
We may never understand in this lifetime why a parent should ever loose a child, but unfortunately it happens.
I cannot tell you how many times my selfish mind thought, "What would I do if that was my child?", but I can tell you that the courage of Jared's parents on their blog and at today's funeral was both humbling and inspiring. It also helped me see more clearly that although I have a close relationship with my children that I need to constantly understand and reaffirm the gratitude I have to be here with them, everyday.
As a person who believes in signs and symbols of God's love I wanted to share with you one piece of information I heard at Jared's funeral. When Jared's father Andrew was speaking he mentioned that Jared wanted another sibling and that Andrew and his wife Jamie wanted the same. Andrew and Jamie had never had a problem getting pregnant, based on past experience, but their efforts at that time seemed to be unsuccessful. It wasn't long after that they discovered Jared's illness which ended up becoming their first priority. With the struggles they were facing they decided to reevaluate if they should have another child at the time. Eventually they decided not to wait and before Jared's passing he was able to see his new sibling thanks to ultrasound technology and then the Vance family found out that the due date of Jared's new sibling was May 29, 2010 which just happens to be the day that Jared would have celebrated his eighth birthday.
Love is eternal, and like God, love is timeless or exists outside of time. I felt that at Jared's funeral today and I understand this truth because I know that when someone we love leaves us, their love and our love for them, does not.
Here's the link to Jared's blog:
And, here's two ksl.com videos about Jared:
Video Courtesy of KSL.com
With every best wish to you and your loved ones today and always, Rob Miller
The Utah Amicus
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