When I think of Pat, no
single word comes to my mind. As my friend, he was my companion, my
hero, my inspiration, my heart, and my strength. Through our many
different experiences together, whether it was a dinner out, or an
extremely lengthy telephone call (with our moms yelling at us to get
off the phone,) there was pretty much nothing that we felt we couldn't
share with each other. We talked about our happy experiences as well
as those that weren't so pleasant. Always, he had the ability to make
me laugh even when I wanted to cry. Unhappiness never existed when Pat
was around. One way or another, he would use his wide smile to better
any situation. You couldn't help feeling great when you were with him.
He was so open about
everything that went on in his life and with his cancer, and no matter
how tough of a situation he found himself in, he always knew how to
make the very best out of it. I remember when he first lost his hair.
Instead of always keeping his head covered with a hat, he decided that
he would become the next Pantene Pro V shampoo model. He even had the
hair wave perfected with a shake of his head. He also took pride in
comparing himself with Uncle Fester from the Adams Family after we
decided that in his tux there was a remarkable resemblance. Even at
some of his weakest moments in the hospital, Pat was able to join in
singing some of his select favorite songs from the South Park movie.
Something that I'll never
forget is Pat's sixteenth birthday, and not because of the huge
cupcake that he so kindly smashed in my face. It was a day when his
friends could look back on the amazing things that we had done
together over the past sixteen years. The endless memories that we
have will last forever.
Throughout those years, Pat
developed so many friendships with so many different people. He had
the ability to make friends wherever he went; at school, the soccer
and lacrosse fields, and even in the hospital and Camp Good Days and
Special Times. With an endless smile and a joke on the tip of his
tongue, no one could resist becoming his friend.
I know that two of the best
friends and role models that he ever had were his two older brothers
David and Brian. I can easily see the positive influence that their
personalities had on the person whom Pat had become. He demonstrated
the same warmth and kindness, humor and even good-natured sarcasm.
When the three of them were together, there was no telling what they
would do or say.
Among the many lessons that
Pat taught me, courage, making the most of any situation, and living
life to the fullest are some that stand out the most. Pat never
conveyed to others how truly painful and frightening some of his days
must have been over the past two years. He always tried to look at the
brighter side of things, and chose to keep his head up in hard times.
His strength was unending.
To fully appreciate Pat, we
need to celebrate his life each and every day. Not a day goes by when
I don't see his incredible smile or think about the impact that he has
had on my life or the lives of others. A part of him will remain alive
in each of us who he has touched throughout his amazing sixteen years.
Some people can live for eighty years without ever having the impact
on others that Pat was able to accomplish in the short time that he
was here. The lessons that we have learned from his life are a gift
that we should all treasure forever. Although his illness proved
incurable, his fighting spirit was never beaten. How Lucky I am to
have known someone who was so hard to say goodbye to.
