It's my stepdad's birthday today. He would've been 42 had he lived. It's hard to believe it's almost been two years since he's died, mostly because there's a few of us who still have a lot of healing to do. We've all been dealing in different ways but we've still a long way to go.

I found this song literally a few days after his death. I listened to it all the time and still put it on when I'm thinking of him. Now, the song has a completely different meaning than what I use it for but music is all about our own interpretation of things, yea? It's also where I figured out my life motto, "Live Free or Die". It's how both dad and I lived and how I continue to live. I expect to make a tattoo of it someday.

Every time you think about it
It tears you up inside
You curse the day your mother
told you, your father died
Now you're always searching
Searching for the reason why I've gone
But I will always be here
By your side, through the darkest night

Here I'll stand on the firing line
Here I'll walk through the field where I died
I will fight and let the voice ring true
I am the ghost
Standing next to you

Every night you go to sleep
You pray the Lord my soul to keep
You don't know I've not gone away
You see I watch over fighting men
So they can have peace again
And maybe someday you will all be free

Here I'll stand on the firing line
Here I'll walk through the field where I died
I will fight and let the voice ring true
I am the ghost
Standing next to you

You speak to me
And I feel your pride
Assuring me I'll never die
I write Mother...
"He's here with me..."
He's in our minds
He's in our souls
Of sacrifice his story's told
He holds the flame of freedom for all to see

Here we stand on the firing line
Here I'll walk in the field where I fight
I will fight of die for liberty
With the ghost standing next to me

Don't tread on me... live free or die!!!
To our fallen brothers
You died to keep us free
To our fallen brothers
Who gave us liberty!

Ghost of Freedom - Iced Earth