I love music and the emotions that it stirs within me. It may seem strange but there are many songs I love that bring me to tears. Some of the songs because they remind me of days gone by that your heart wants to relive like ‘I’ll be home for Christmas’

Other songs bring out memories of great sorrow for me, like the death of a loved one. On the first Sunday back to church after Cindy’s death, the first song we sang was ‘Because He Lives’. Still breaks me up every time I sing it to this day.

But there is one song that stirs more emotion in me than any other. It’s by a bluegrass group you may never have heard of, Daily & Vincent. It’s a song that brings me as close to my daughter Cassandra as I can imagine. The song: ‘On The Other Side’

On the other side, the sun always shines
No minutes, no hour, there’s no such thing as time
Where the streets are paved with gold
And you never grow old, on the other side

I still remember hearing it for the first time, sung in a slow wonderful melody that makes you feel like you could be in heaven, the song takes you on a stroll through the timeless streets meeting people as you go.

On the other side, everybody sings
There’s miles and miles of flowers and lots of pretty things
Where the sky’s pearly blue and everything looks brand new
On the other side

Imagining heaven in this way brought a calm feeling to me, touching everything I love, Singing to the Lord, Flowers & Gardens, and the sense that life could not get any better. Then the chorus hit:

Well I’ve never been to heaven
I didn’t know what it was like
But God let me have a glimpse
In my dream last night
And I could see you smiling
You were looking right at me
For the first time in a long time
On your face I saw some peace
I knew everything
Was going to be all right
On the other side

It’s at this point, tears always well up in my eyes as this song that is so peaceful carries me away to a place I have never been, a place where I know loved ones wait for me to join them in what ever form we take. But then for me, this song becomes personal.

On the other side, do you ever see me cry?
Do you know how much I miss you?
Wish I could have said goodbye
Just one more I love you
Oh, am I really getting through on the other side?

Because of the accident, I was never able to say goodby to Cassie, not able to give her a final kiss, hear her tell me she loved me, or a final ‘daddy’ hug with her little fingers behind my neck. The thought that she was watching over me, seeing how much I miss her, watching me cry, brings her alive in my heart like never before.

Then the chorus plays again, and I’m able to let emotions that tend to be bottled up, release. These two singers have brought my daughter back to me in a way I can’t explain. And as the chorus finishes up, the final words of the song could not have been better. These words should bring love, hope, and comfort to everyone who is missing a loved one.

I’ll see you on the other side

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.
Revelation 21:4