We all know that the holidays can be hard for those who have lost loved ones, and this has been especially true for the Micah family this year as we celebrate our first Christmas without Julio, who passed away in an accident in January.

Micah grad Brayan Chavez wrote a song this month to put that loss into words, and the whole Micah family helped film the video. (Translation below).

(Chorus). We remember you forever
Your friends are here for you as always
We’re swimming upstream
Honoring you with our heads held high.
You left a huge hole in our lives, but
After the fight we’ve made our peace.
We’re here with no disguise, but
We are still waiting for one of your hugs.

It’s December and I am lost in a maze of pain
Which doesn’t go away even with three Tylenol.
Life’s not the same without you, I can’t even sleep
Sometimes I want to go far away from here
To try to find a happy place.

I miss you so much and I want to hear your voice
It’s so hard to live without you, smiling on the outside
But sad on the inside.
But I know you don’t want me to live like this.
Night after night without sleep.

You spent your birthday in Heaven
And Christmas too.
I’m sending you my New Year’s hug!

Prepare a place for me because I will see you again in God’s timing
But for now, it is so hard to not have you here this December.
I miss the spice with which you cooked
And the flow you showed in your chef’s outfit
Now our kitchen bears your name.
And there are several warriors there fighting to reach the summit.
We honor your legacy, and we keep believing in the seeds you planted.

Sometimes we fall but we keep getting up.
We remember how good our last year was together
And my broken heart cries out.
We want to smile and make things seem normal.
But everything is out of whack without you.

I remember how you were: serene and with so much patience
The best human being and always looking out for your neighbor
Without taking any credit.

Sometimes I lose my will to fight.
I see so much injustice
Few smiles and more pain
But we are warriors and we keep moving upward
God keep us and bless us.
Even though we lost the best member of our kitchen.

And Michael is still broken. He remembers you and still speaks to you.
You were his son.
So many losses that he has suffered.
But he still moves forward.
Thank you for motivating us to do the same, Michael.

My brother, we will keep moving forward and never stop.
We had such a good year in your last year.
But who are we to question God’s will?
Fly high, brother. Fly high.

Your mom is a warrior, too, brother.
She remembers you every day.
And keeps moving forward.

The Micah family misses you, brother.
We lost our friend Israel too,
The best goalie we know.
We miss you but know you are in a better place.

From your flock of black sheep.
The Micah Cooks flock.
We are black sheep, but we keep moving forward.
Right, chef? Let’s keep fighting to move forward,
Honoring your legacy, let’s give it all we have.

We miss you brother. Fly high.