[The Family You Always Deserved] [Tempo: Slow, gentle acoustic guitar with a soft pedal steel and fiddle] [Intro] [Soft fingerpicked acoustic guitar, mournful pedal steel] You came from a world where nobody held your hand Where family was just a word you couldn't understand But then you found our door, and we threw it open wide And you spent your final years with an army by your side... [Verse 1] Growing up, you never had a place where you belonged No one to cheer you on or teach you right from wrong But God gave you a second chance to build it from the ground The sweetest kind of love that this old world has ever found Hunter and Aiden, two boys who looked up to your strength to endure There wasn't any mountain that you wouldn't climb for sure McKinley and Addison, your sweet little girls You gave 'em all your heart and you gave 'em all... your world. [Pre-Chorus] And you touched every one of us deep down in our souls Taking broken pieces and making us all whole You showed us what it means to care, to truly take a stand The finest wife and momma in all of this broad land... [Chorus] 'Cause we were the family you were always meant to have Through every single smile and every quiet path You helped so many people, set 'em on the right track And there ain't a day that goes by that we don't want you back No, you’ll never be forgotten, your light is shining bright I feel you right beside me in the middle of the night. [Verse 2] My momma loved you like you were her very own She made sure you'd never feel like you were alone And when you took your last breath, her heart just broke in two She just let the break happen, crying out for you You were the daughter that she always prayed to see A blessing to our home, a gift to her and me. [Hook] [Tempo picks up slightly, strumming grows stronger) Yeah, you built a legacy that time can't wash away We’re gonna keep your memory alive every single day. [Verse 3] I look at Hunter and Aiden and I see your stubborn grace I see your gentle kindness on McKinley's pretty face And Addison's got that spark, that fire in her eyes The same one that burned bright under starry skies You poured your whole life into four precious hearts And even death itself can't tear those bonds apart. [Pre-Chorus] Oh, you touched every one of us deep down in our souls Taking broken pieces and making us all whole You showed us what it means to care, to truly take a stand The finest wife and mama in all of this broad land... [Chorus] 'Cause we were the family you were always meant to have Through every single smile and every quiet path You helped so many people, set 'em on the right track And there ain't a day that goes by that we don't want you back No, you’ll never be forgotten, your light is shining bright I feel you right beside me in the middle of the night. [Verse 4] The house is full of memories, your pictures on the wall I hear your laughter echoing down through the hallway hall You showed a lonely boy how to love and how to live With more grace and commitment than anyone could give You gave everything you had until your time was through And now the best parts of me are the parts I got from you. [Bridge] [Music strips back to just a quiet, weeping fiddle] They say that blood is thicker, but love is what is real You proved that by the way you taught our hearts to heal You live right here inside me, through every breath I take In every single choice and every promise that I make... [Final Verse] [Builds to a massive, loud, belting climax—raw, tearjerking, and full of emotion] OH, MOMMA’S MISSING YOU SO BAD AND THE KIDS ARE CRYING OUT! YOU’RE THE ONLY THING THIS FAMILY EVER TALKS ABOUT! HUNTER, AIDEN, McKINLEY, AND ADDISON KNOW YOUR NAME! THIS WHOLE DAMN WORLD WILL NEVER BE THE SAME! YOU WERE OUR SHELTER, OUR FAITHFUL GUIDING LIGHT! YOU LIVE THROUGH ME NOW, SWEETHEART, AND I'LL HOLD THE LINE TONIGHT! [Outro] [Music fades to soft acoustic picking and a quiet pedal steel] Yeah, you live through me... Momma misses you... the kids miss you too... You finally got the family that was worthy of you... We'll never forget you, baby... Never... [Single acoustic guitar chord rings out and fades]
