I knew this day would come. On February 23rd, I wrote an article about some amazing people coming together to assist two families beset with tragedy. One being the immediate family of Tina Williams and secondly, the Mighty Mike’s family. Both families came together for a common cause and that was to assist, heal wounds, to commiserate and to understand what it means to love someone so much that fate itself would pause and wonder whether or not it made a huge mistake by inflicting such sorrow.
Tina was a beloved bartender who worked at Mighty Mike’s, a local restaurant in Sterling Park, who suffered a Cerebral Hemorrhage on January 27th. For two months we heard progress reports and we cheered and we heard of setbacks and we cried. Today, Tina lost that courageous fight and died peacefully while she slept. However, during her fight to stay alive, another tragedy struck the Williams’ family. Tina’s father, Harvey Williams, lost his fight with lung cancer and sadly died last week not knowing the fate of his daughter. It’s a tragic irony that Mr. Williams was buried the same day his daughter lost her fight. The faithful will view this as a sign that God took them a week apart so they could ascend to the heavens together so that neither would suffer the fear of the journey. I’m not a religious man but I like this scenario and wouldn’t place doubt in the minds of anyone who believes in such a perfect end or a spectacular beginning. I’m happy she made her mark in her 46 years on this earth and even happier to know that if she had to go, she left this realm well lived, well loved, and accompanied by someone who will hold her hand and never let go.
I was asked to write Tina’s obituary a week prior to her death but refused to put words to paper until she passed. I, along with hundreds of others were hoping for a miracle to save our friend and I felt as if I would betraying her by binding her fate with my words. Her amazing strength and the prayers of hundreds would save her, we thought. However, in the end, a higher calling superseded her desire to fight further. We remember her face, her smile and her gentle nature so she really didn’t leave us at all. Physically she’s not here but her spirit will endure forever and knowing that, will replace our grief and heal our sadness until we take our own journey into the light with hopes that she will be there and lend a hand and help us understand what she already knows.
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Tina is survived by her daughter Stephanie Williams of Leesburg Va., her mother Kathy Williams of Newport News Va., and three sisters, Tanya K. O’Brien of Newport News Va., Wendy F. Casuso of West Hartford Conn., and Christina L. Williams of Newport News Va., as well as nine nieces and nephews and three aunts. Her father, Harvey E. Williams preceded her in death on April 9, 2013.
At times, writers struggle to find the proper words to describe traumatic events that would allow a reader to see what the writer is feeling. Today, I can’t seem to find the proper ones in closing, so I defer to a poets musical lyrics to make that attempt in my stead.
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From the song Spirits Having Flown by Barry Gibb.
I never fell in love so easily
Where the four winds blow, I carry on
I’d like to take you where my spirit flies
Through the empty skies, we go alone
Never before having flown
Fly Tina!
12/14/1966---4/15/2013
