The Sweetest Light

About the Book

In a tragic plane crash in the mountains of central Idaho in 2005, author Gerry Becker lost the three most important men in her life—her husband, Bill, and their two sons, Ben and Andy. The Sweetest Light weaves together Gerry’s cherished memories with Bill and their children, as well as the aftermath of loss she and her daughter, Emily, endured. Gerry’s stories span more than twenty years—from her kids’ childhood to her to the debilitating moments that turned into years of heartbreak following the accident. Hers is a story as much about love as it is about loss—about friendship and family as much as heartbreak and resilience. Through the stories in The Sweetest Light, Gerry honors family—those living, those lost—as well as her personal journey through grief, which continues to inspire her to find meaning and purpose on the other side.

About the Author

Gerry Becker was raised in southeast Idaho. She studied elementary education at the University of Idaho; she spent an additional eight semesters between the University of Hawaii (Hilo) and the University of Massachusetts (Amherst). After graduating with a degree in Elementary Education from U of I, Gerry taught for 20 years in Idaho Falls, where she and her husband Bill raised their three children. Gerry wrote The Sweetest Light as a personal history and reflection on her role as a daughter, wife, mother and teacher. Since becoming a mother, Gerry compiled family stories and pictures each year to share with her children’s grandparents; this book is a continuation of that tradition marking the familiar experiences of raising “decent kids.” Also, this book shares the farless familiar in the form of a life-changing tragedy. Together, The Sweetest Light serves to both honor her family—those living, those lost—and her personal journey through grief, which continues to inspire her to find meaning and purpose on the other side.