"For those of us that are frightened or angry, or mournful, or that just don't understand - I ask that you fill your heart with patience and grace. And that you allow yourself to yield any judgments that you may already have. For those of us that will never be the same again, I ask that you fill your heart with hope and forgiveness. You allow yourself to cope and heal. Finally, for those of us that have the knowledge and the means to facilitate the answers that my family deserves, I ask that you fill your hearts with compassion and truth, and I ask that you allow your conscience to speak for you when your mind cannot comprehend the right words to say. I sincerely hope that this day allows those affected by it to take from it whatever it is that you need to take, if its closure you seek here today, I certainly hope you're able to find it. Today is the day to remember today is the day to pay tribute. Today is the day for this family to unite and display their solidarity in strength.
I've gotta tell you - this family is united. But this family is incomplete. I'm incomplete. I- I'm broken. CMA, it will never be the same again. CMA. Each day you continue to teach me about life and about the way it SHOULD be lived. Each day you give me the ability to be strong or to be weak. It's been so long since I've been able to see you or to hug you or to tell you how much you mean to me. CMA. I miss you, I love you. CMA. I am so proud of you. I hope you're proud of me too. I need you to know that I will never forget the promise that I made to you. I will never forget."
This is my take on Lees portion of the memorial service. It is my opinion of what I heard and saw.
I believe that Lee was speaking directly to Casey for most of this. One would think that he may have been attempting to let her know that he wanted her to tell the truth, no matter what it was and that he still loved her but my instincts tell me he was telling Casey that no matter what he would keep his promise to her. (Sic Casey).
What that promise is becomes the question. It could be just simply that he would support her no matter what she did. It could be that she confided something in him, and he will never speak of it to anyone or they share a common knowledge about something that they promised each ever never to speak about.
I think that his first line "For those of us that are frightened or angry, or mournful, or that just don't understand - I ask that you fill your heart with patience and grace. may have been directed at Mallory. The part about having Finally, for those of us that have the knowledge and the means to facilitate the answers that my family deserves, I ask that you fill your hearts with compassion and truth, is worded odd. For those of us sounds like he knows exactly whom us is. If he had been speaking to whomever, meaning he believes that Casey is not responsible for Caylees death he would have said for those of you
I sincerely hope that this day allows those affected by it to take from it whatever it is that you need to take, if its closure you seek here today, I certainly hope you're able to find it. He is also making it clear that this memorial in no way brings closure to him but
. half heartedly he adds that maybe someone can find it but it certainly wont be me.
Each day you continue to teach me about life and about the way it SHOULD be lived. Each day you give me the ability to be strong or to be weak. This part is where Lee is saying about you continue to teach me about life and about the way it should be lived is to me this was the most normal part of everything he said. I think that right here he may actually be speaking about Caylee and how her death has given him a different view of how humanity acts and reacts. That one can be strong and face the challenge of not knowing what is going to happen but one has to just put one foot in front of the other or its ok to sit and bawl your eyes out. CMA This is where the tone takes yet again a turn. The use of CMA and not Caylee is the part I find to be the strangest. It is not normal to use initials when speaking of someone. To use initials to reference someone on paper maybe but not to use as a substitute for his or her name, especially in a public forum such as a memorial. I feel this was done on purpose.
I've gotta tell you - this family is united. But this family is incomplete. I'm incomplete. I- I'm broken. Now dont throw cups at me that to me sound more like a sentiment that is used by spouse or a parent when a loved one has died or is missing. The roles in this family that everyone played is so convoluted that it is difficult to discern what part they are playing and when. Was Lee speaking as a father image to Casey, a big brother image or something more. Was Lees role to Caylee just an uncle in his own mind, a substitute father figure to Caylee or a brother? Which family? Casey, Lee & Caylee or Lee, Mallory, George, Cindy and Casey. Again, since we dont know what role Lee is playing while saying this we dont know what he means as he says this.
I know with my own son, with my niece whom I took custody of because my sister was not able to function as her mother due to mental illness sometimes seemed almost to act as her big brother, not a cousin but at other times he would read her the riot act about her behavior her no different then if he was her father despite the fact that there is only about 10 years between them. It can be very easy for those normal roles to become blurred.
It's been so long since I've been able to see you or to hug you or to tell you how much you mean to me. IMHO Lee is telling Casey that he misses her, that he missing being able to hug her.
This is not past tense this is present. Caylee is dead. If it was Caylee it would be I will never be able to see you again or give you another hug. Listen to Georges portion. He is speaking about what he and Caylee used to do and how when he remembers or thinks back how he felt. Lee is speaking in a different manor and I have to be blunt and say he sounds like a man who is doing his best at dealing with the emotions that come with the loss of wife or lover. Whether Lee means that or not is something that I cannot determine. Due to how badly the family dynamics were it may be possible that Lee just does not have a clear understanding of love for a sister as apposed to love for a significant other and can not separate his feelings well enough so the rest of us can understand who he is referencing to let alone find the proper words to express it.
I am so proud of you. I hope you're proud of me too. Now this is where we get back to the entire idea that he may be speaking to Casey and not speaking about Caylee. To me it is the so proud of you that is the clue. There is no way I can connect those words to Caylee. Proud of what? What would Caylee be proud of Lee for? She wasnt yet 3 years old. Then he moves directly to the I need you to know that I will never forget the promise that I made to you. I will never forget." I think this is also to Casey. The idea that he made a promise to himself that he would find Caylee or bring those guilty to justice crossed my mind but the wording is off for that. I need you to know a need is something that is today. If that was Caylee he is referring I would think that he would have used something more along the lines of I want you to knowor I made a promise looking up or pointing up as he spoke. There is no indication of that in his facial expression or his body language that he is referring to a child who has died. Think of how you would say to someone that you loved very much and who has passed on that you know you made them a promise and you are going to keep it and not forget as opposed to how you would say it to someone who is in the here and the now.
I think that Lee looks like a man who is being chased by the boggy man in his sleep and when awake. He is thinner that he was back in September or October when he was last seen in the media and I dont think he looks healthy.
As a side note. I also noted the look of confusion on Georges face as he was looking at the computer screen as Lee was speaking.
