A trail through the woods at our farm.
From a very early age, our son was drawn to the woods at our farm. Justin knew every trail through the woods and would hike for hours at a time. He could identify every unusual type of plant life. He could name every type of tree. Our farm represented his heritage and he spent every moment possible enjoying the thick grass, the beautiful wildflowers, the soaring pine trees, the flowing creek, the flowering dogwoods, and the rolling hills.
Justin taught his sister how to appreciate and love the land that was bestowed to our family. We have never taken our responsibility lightly and Justin realized that we are caretakers of our ancestor’s land. We are caretakers for future generations. As a family, we joyfully share the land with family and friends. This would have been Justin’s wish as well.
Our son is sadly no longer with us, but our memories will always remain sweet and loving towards our free spirit of a young man. We lost him on October 4, 2004 because of a car accident. It was raining and a truck came over a hill losing control as it reached the top. The other driver moved into the oncoming traffic. Our son, Justin was gone instantly and our lives changed forever. We have been able to find our smiles again because of faith, friends, and resilience. We know that…
“For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.”
Ecclesiastes 3-1
Justin left many of his journals at the farm. We had no idea that they were there. Reading his words has brought us such understanding and peace. Justin was a writer and had written for a publication in Austin. Just before we lost him in the accident, he had spent about six weeks at a seminar in Oregon. Justin had been studying Sustainable Living and Permaculture at the Lost Valley Educational Center. At the time, they had a magazine titled Talking Leaves. While at Lost Valley, Justin wrote an article for the magazine. We found the article with his journals at the farm. His words were profound and gave us a look into the depths of his inner being.
When we finally found the right memorial for Justin, we decided to incorporate one important paragraph from the article into the stone. The memorial is a large piece of granite with one smooth side…we had it shipped to Texas from North Dakota. My husband and I found an artist in the Texas Hill Country who could etch the writing onto the stone as well as some artwork of trees that I drew. It is our wish that those who read Justin’s words in the future will have a much wider understanding of the environment and particularly the land that Justin loved so much.
Written by Justin Davis on July 31, 2004:
The wilderness is my church.
I can go into the wild
and receive guidance for anything.
It is mainly a matter of opening up
my heart, my door by breathing
through it and focusing on it.
My heart is my connection to the
Great Spirit/Nature/God.
Would love to see that article in its entire. My dad loved the land and hated for us to even pick the wildflowers because they died so quickly afterwards. What a beautifully written section of his article. I can only imagine the loss you must feel. So glad you found some of his writings. Guess that good writing runs in the family. Love you sweet friend.
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Thank you!! I will make a copy of the entire article for you. Justin always wanted to leave the wildflowers growing…just like your dad. I will make a copy of the entire article for you. Love you too, Jan!
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I am very sorry for your loss. The headstone was beautiful but my heart hurts for you, as the mother of a son (my only child). Hugs 🙂
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Thank you so much for your comment! I believe that all is possible with faith. That is where we receive our strength and where our daughter receives her strength! I considered not including the picture of the memorial on the post, but we are so happy with the result. It represents the very essence of Justin, so I decided to share his words and the memorial!
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Thank you for sharing Justin’s beautiful words and memory stone. He sounds like a wonderful young man. Many of us with children of that same age can’t imagine such a loss, but you have shown how life truly does go on. May you and your family have many happy times in future.
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Thank you so much for reading my post! Yes…life goes on and it is amazing how much strength one can garner! I really appreciate your thoughts!
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Uplifting to read this…X
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Absolutely beautiful tribute to your son. My heart was heavy as I read this post and yet there was such a sense of joy. I did not know your son but it sounds like he lived life to the full and brought joy to those around him. I am so honored to have gotten to know you through your written words. Your honesty in this journey of life touches me and I am grateful.
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Your words make me so happy! Thank you for understanding the joy that we feel despite our loss. We know that we have so many happenings and friends to be thankful for…such as the unique opportunity to find a special friend like you! Part of God’s plan!
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I had no idea-I am just heartbroken for you-and the whole planet. It is easy to see from this, that your son was remarkable and noble. Your tribute touched me deeply. The stone is the perfect memorial marker. i can not imagine walking in your footprints, but i admire you.
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This is such a beautiful post about your son.
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Thank you so much!
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What beautiful words. Justin sounds very special.
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Thank you! Justin was fun and quiet and outgoing all at the same time! He was 26.
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This is beautiful. I have three sons in their 20’s. I cannot imagine your loss. What a lovely testimony to his life. Thank you for sharing him with us. ♥
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Thank you so much for your comment! He was just 26 when we lost him. Our daughter married almost two years ago and we love her husband! Our children were five years apart…she is the youngest.
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My sons are 28, 26 & 22. Our children hold our hearts forever. A blessing that your daughter has found the love of her life ♥ a bonus for sure that you and your husband love him too.
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Yes, so true! Their wedding was very joyous for all of our family!
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♥ 🙂
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I don’t feel I know you well enough to say much, but I don’t want to pass by and say nothing. This is a beautiful and suitable tribute to pay to your son.
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Thank you so much. I appreciate your comment!
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Proud to call you friends! Have been thinking about you this week! Love you and would have loved Justin!
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Thank you, Patty! We love you, too! Your friendship is so important to us and I wish both of you could have met Justin!
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