A Celebration of Life

An Angel on Earth

Hermosa, Preciosa, and Divina. Precious, Divine, and so Beautiful…

Imagination was her world. And throughout her life, Alicia continued to have a grand sense of creativity that stemmed from imagination. On her birthday, June 15, 2016, at the age of 26, she wrote a simple poem; “Imagination Is My World”. Alicia’s imagination and grand ability to create stemmed from her childhood. There are so many precious memories of Alicia’s childhood imagination. I, as her mother, recall them vividly. The wonderful thing is that those who were present in her life during her childhood will also have so many memories of that Extraordinary imagination.

Alicia owed two horses. One was named ‘Hundred-a-Pounds’ and the other was ‘Fastest’. These two horses were so wild and fast but Alicia had complete control of them because… Hundred-a-Pounds was her right leg and Fastest was her left leg! “Giddy Up!” she would say, and both horses would run wild around Grandma and Grandpa’s house (that is where Alicia and I lived for several years). If you weren’t paying attention, Hundred-a-Pounds, or be it Fastest, would buck you right up ‘side the head as you were relaxing on the couch. “Woochoo” was the sound effect she would make and then Hundred-a-Pounds and Fastest would take off running wild in the vast fields of the inside of our home. All the while if you were the one who got bucked in the head, you were still trying to reel in what just happened! She was fast and there was nothing imaginary about being kicked in the head by her horse!

Many will remember those two special imaginary horses – Hundred-a-Pounds and Fastest. She played with them for several years and then they went away. Alicia claimed that they moved to Branson, Missouri. She left them there after visiting her aunt.
Alicia had a great love for horses throughout her whole life. As a child, she collected close to 30 toy horses that she displayed, played with, and loved. To this day, she still has one of those horses on her dresser at home. The others are stored in the attic. We could not provide her with a real horse, but she made friends with any horse she met. I would call her the horse whisperer. Most recently, she fed the horse behind Supreme Fitness and in the summer she would feed this beauty up north in the field by her Grandma and Grandpa’s house.

Grandma Vi had, and still has, an old, vintage decorative bird cage. No birds, just a lovely wooden turquoise blue cage that she would keep in the kitchen when Alicia was 3 or 4 years old. This birdcage was fascinating to her and soon a bird arrived and she placed it in the cage. Some days she would let the bird out and chase it around the house until she could catch it and place it back in it’s home. She played with this bird often. She talked to it, fed it, and took it out to play.

One summer, Alicia’s older cousin, Jakey, came to stay with us in Grandma’s house for about a month. Jake was about 6 years old and knew that there was no way that there could be a bird in that cage – he could not see it. Alicia would continue to argue that there was a bird. Back and forth, Jake and Alicia would argue. But, Alicia was determined that Jake needed to play with the bird too. She would run around the house chasing her imaginary bird and Jake would not follow.

Then, after several days of missing out on all the fun Alicia was having, Jake finally realized that there was a bird there and the both of them would talk to it and let it out of it’s cage and chase it around the house. I’m not sure how long that bird lived with us. But, when we go home to Grandma and Grandpa’s house, that beautiful birdcage reminds us of Alicia’s amazing and vivid imagination and her lovely childhood.

Abraham’s Message:

Oh my God, I really can’t believe what is happening. Darkness is trying to take away our light from us. It is indeed a very sad day for us all, especially your family and your loved ones. On the 15th of March, 2022, I realized I had missed a lot of calls from Nice, coupled with texts from her “can you pick up my call?” Then, I replied, indicating I was in a meeting. Then she replied with another message asking me to return the call when I’m done with the meeting for it is important.

Honestly, I became apprehensive because Nice doesn’t send me such messages. Then few minutes later I realized Nice’s sister, Matilda, was calling me. I asked myself, “what’s happening?” I quickly rushed out to pick up the call. Then I heard her on the line crying so loud and she broke the news to me about the unfortunate passing away of Alicia. I then quickly hanged up and called Nice back, hoping to hear that it was a mistaken identity and that Alicia is ok and not dead.

Unfortunately, Nice confirmed the story and I was so, so broken with tears. I have never been broken like this for a very long time, when my father passed away. As a pastor, I know everyone will experience this fate and I’ve counseled families who have lost their someone but I never in my wildest dream or imagination ever thought yours was coming so soon. For you were bubbling with life and great future coupled with a sweet heart and a sweet spirit you possess.

I shed tears so much that very night with sleepless because I couldn’t believe such a sweet spirit and person could just leave us like that. I then prayed for you, your family, and loved ones. That very night my mind went back to the first time I saw you. It was Nice who introduced you to me on your family visit to Ghana. It was a beautiful moment. I felt like I had met you before, the atmosphere was glorious and peaceful. I liked you from that moment onwards and I said to myself this is a person I will love to be close to, for good people are hard to find, they are that precious stone deep down the ground. Since then, I have loved Robert and Trinidad (your parents).

Personally, you brought an extra light to me. Though you had your own challenges you were dealing as everyone does, you were still able to help others by bringing light to their darkness. I asked myself how you were able to do all these. Then the Lord God answered me that very night of tears and prayers with a scripture from Hebrews 13:2, which says:

Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing. (Hebrews 13:2)

Alicia, after reading this scripture from the Bible, I realized you were not just a mere human being but an angel sent from God. You were sent to bring light to us and to touch everyone who comes your way with light, including me, who lives miles and miles away in Africa (Ghana). I am very sad you have left me and your loved ones but I take the consolation in the fact that angels don’t stay long on earth. They leave after they are done with their purpose here. So I know you are now with your fellow angels and your Maker in Heaven, telling them about your experience here on earth. How beautiful your Robert, Trinidad, Nice, Frank and your ‘siblings’ Nartey, Narkie, and Narkwor, and your loved ones, including me, Abraham, treated you.

Alicia, if I knew you were an angel before you left this earth, I would have done so much for you but as limited as we humans are, I did my best as everyone did to make your stay here on Earth more beautiful.

Alicia, I wish I could write more about the empty space you’ve left in our hearts, but time and space can’t accommodate it. For they are bigger than time and space. I will always remember your beautiful and calm smiles that always followed you whenever I saw you. My heart and thoughts are with you and your family. You will always remain in a special place in our hearts.

Alicia, till we meet again in Heaven, please Rest In Perfect Peace. We Love you. We will miss you.

-Abraham.

In this surreal time, we are all at a loss. Collectively, we have all asked ‘WHY?’ more than a billion times. We cannot find a justifiable answer as to why this would happen to our beautiful Alicia. We cannot find ways to completely comfort our hearts as we ache for her. All we can do is believe that there must be a damn good reason for this to happen to her because she was amazing and loving and gave so mush to others. She lived BEAUTIFULLY. Today, we gather to to celebrate the life and memory of Alicia. To give her honor, to pay tribute, and to show how wonderful she truly is.

Alicia was a beautiful, young woman at the pinnacle of her life – 31 years old. She was full of ambition and grace. Her lively personality was a light to so many and the world was indeed a better place because of her. She was genuine and kind, playful, and loving. She could encourage anyone at any age or in any condition – she just had a way. I called it her magical strength. I still feel at awe and am so proud when I see how she worked with patients with and without disabilities as a physical therapy technician. Or, how she engaged with children at Supreme Fitness as Coach Alicia.

I still feel the love she gave to me as her momma. Alicia was my loving daughter who loved to sit on my lap and hug me even though I am much smaller than she was. Alicia was a patient, kind, and loving granddaughter to her grandparents and to her two great-grandmothers who have since passed away. Although Alicia had no kiddos of her own, she was momma to Oso, the love of her life. And Alicia was the doula for the births of Renee’s babies. Alicia was an ever-present, guiding strength to her God-siblings Nartey, Narkie, KK, and Kenya. Alicia was the favorite niece and cousin to Jake, Rick, Joseph, Jaylynn, and Christian. For many of you, Alicia was truly a special friend that touched your lives in a way that no one had ever done before.

One of the happiest days of my life was when Alicia decided to call me ‘Daddy’. I had first met her when she was 9 years old and she was a firecracker! One of the first interactions was at a get together for Frank’s birthday. Alicia had a bottle of eye mascara and was going around to all the adults asking if they wanted a custom tattoo. I kind of tricked her… of course I wanted a custom tattoo. I had asked for a large heart with an arrow through it and the word “MOM” tattooed to my shoulder. Everyone thought it was so cute that I was thinking of my mom, but I actually had my eyes on Alicia’s mom! If Alicia had known what I was up to then, she would have growled at me. She did that when she was angry with me and continued to do that as an adult. She did a lot of growling as I slowly took more of her mom’s time from her. Luckily it all worked out.

Another happy day was when Trinidad and I were married (of course!). However, myself and Mike Thomas (our officiant) had planned to surprise Alicia with a ring as well. It worked! The house was in tears, but the ring was indeed a commitment to Alicia that I would be the best dad that I could be. And she did call me on that commitment. It was a proud day when she came to me with a problem that she needed help with that was not math or science in nature. She needed help to get out of a bad situation and she asked me. She needed a dad and I was there. It sounds simple, but the situation had pained her greatly.

So on March 14th, when I could not contact Alicia and details of the situation were getting closer and closer to a reality that I could not fathom, I could only think that Alicia perished by herself. Without the comfort of mom or dad. It was painful and infuriating and made little sense. After the details became clear, it still did not make any sense. I could not grasp how this could happen. Entropy does not work like this! A grand plan this complicated is impossible by itself. It makes no sense. It is truly senseless. I had to drive from KC to Albuquerque to offer and accept any comfort so I had a bit of time to wrestle with the future ahead. Of course, all of the plans that I secretly had for Alicia – a beautiful wedding, grandkids, maybe even a land cruiser – were gone. Camping trips, traveling, game night, a ride home from Howie’s – gone. And then I thought how selfish I was. What about our God-Children? They just lost more than a sister. Trinidad! Nice and Frank lost a first child. And then Alicia’s patients! It just kept getting worse.

And then a thought occurred to me while I was getting some road snacks – I’ll keep Alicia alive in my heart and work to be the better person that I should have been when she was with me. I envisioned the Imp of the Perverse on my shoulder. Mine looks a lot like Ned Flanders with horns, a red cape, and a pitchfork. You probably have met the Imp – you know, that guy who whispers in your ear that not only is it a good idea to hand over your beer and yell “Hey! Watch this!”, but that you should do it naked. Flanders and I have a good relationship and I’ve been getting better at thinking through his plans (some of them are actually fun!). But I’ve get something better than an engineer’s mind to combat Flanders. I’ve got Alicia!

Alicia is now perched on my other shoulder. I know some of you can see her. She was special and so were her friends so I know you can see her. Alicia is helping me and always will. Will this action or these words bring a smile to Alicia? What? Its been two hours and no Dance Break!!! Alicia is now my little Metamorphli that I can take with me everywhere.

So yes, Alicia is gone. I have to carry on as the world continues to move along regardless. I get to see how much my little girl has impacted the world around me and it makes me proud. Alicia left me with the gift of many memories but also gave me a model to follow to help make this world a better place. I hope I remember to pet the horses, smile at the birds, wander off after the butterflies and try to make those around me happier. And if I forget, Metamorphli will continue to say “Hey Apple!” until I stop to dance. Goodbye for now, Alicia. We’ll dance together again.

TBD

A Celebration of Life

An Angel on Earth

1st Story. Age 4

2nd Story.

Sermon: Pastors Albert Som-Pimpong and Abraham

Eulogy

Eulogy Dad

Eulogy