‘It’s alright now’: A tearful goodbye to Nica Julien

New Horizon Worship Ministries was filled with songs of praise, memories and silent grief on Saturday as family and friends gathered to lay Nica Juilen to rest.

For Nica’s mother, the moment seemed almost too heavy to absorb.

As the praise team sang, “Goodness of God,” she sat nearly motionless, her head resting on the shoulder of another as she sought comfort in the middle of an unbearable goodbye.

But around her were mourners carrying their own memories of Nica, who they said had a remarkable ability to make others feel loved.

Nica, 26, died after leaving a function and crashing into a utility pole. She later succumbed to her injuries in hospital, leaving behind family, friends and a young son trying to understand a loss no one expected.

For Chloe Miller, Nica became like a sister in just one year.

Their friendship deepened through moments of joy and pain, including when Miller lost her father.

Nica was there to wipe her tears.

“You always encouraged me to do what’s best for me and celebrate my achievements,” Miller remembered. “You have no idea how much you healed me.

“So many priceless memories in so little time.”

Shasheena Clarke remembered Nica as a loving person whose presence could fill a room.

“Her smile lit up a room a mile away,” she said.

Nica may have been small in stature, Clarke said, but she carried herself with a confidence that made her seem much larger.

“She might have been short in stature, but in her mind she was at least seven feet tall.”

Her heart, Clarke said, belonged to three things above all: God, her mother and her son.

She had met Nica through her aunt, but said their connection quickly felt much longer than it actually was.

Pastor Karol Roach urged the grieving family to trust God even when the answers remain beyond their understanding.

“Let not your heart be troubled,” he reminded them.

He spoke about the fragility of life and the limited number of days given to each person.

“Life is short. Life is fragile,” Roach said, reminding the congregation that life is not a rehearsal.

“We measure life in years, but God measures in days.”

Nica’s final day, he said, was June 28, 2026.

The pastor urged those gathered to consider their own numbered days and to make each one count.

“Teach us to number our days,” he said.

As her casket was slowly rolled out of the church, the congregation continued to sing, “It’s Alright Now.”

The song carried her away from the sanctuary, but the memories remained.

Video credit: JS Event Management