Nothing we do on this side can bring back who we lost.

But what we do going forward may help us get back a piece of ourselves.

A large group of us lost a very dear man. A man who would give his last dollar to a homeless person. Hell he would give half his sandwich over if he felt someone needed it. And we all know how seriously Scott took his eating.

Scott was the kind of man who when his mom became ill and began a decline down the dementia path, would get up at 3 am to open the welding shop at four am, so he could work until around eight. He would take his lunch to drive a carefully timed route back to his house in order to get his mother showered and on a bus to the senior care center, so he could get back to the shop within the hour and work until it was time to go shopping to get things for her. Then be home to help her change and cook her dinner. He would get her settled or in bed and finally go to the beach for his self care to enjoy nature and his “Happy Place” he called it just to go home and start the same routine over the next morning. He did this for years until forced to finally get her a home as she was finally just too unsafe. He did all this while always being there for his friends whenever he had a second to lend.

The man was a relentless positive person. Always making me question my own actions. Always teaching me something about the power of letting go and living your best moment. He was the type of guy who would work get up at 3 am and work 12 hour days in a welding shop lifting hundreds of pounds over his head with no air conditioning in a metal warehouse in Florida, and then come right over to my house and help me move for three hours all the while smiling and sharing his positive happy vibes.

Scott and I knew each other briefly as kids in elementary school. Then seriously reconnected after he began his path to sobriety, while separately waiting in line at Busch Gardens! A place that forever cements him in my mind. From that point on he was like a father figure to my daughter. A brother from another mother “Uncle Scott”. We must have gone to Busch Gardens over 100 times together in a four year span. Always taking my kiddo out with us to movies, shopping, dinners, hanging at my pool, and annoying the shit out of me half the time because I would try to set rules down for my daughter, and he would constantly force me to break them by pushing my boundaries and get me to relax more. Lol. My god she loved him for that. And so did I secretly.

We spent so much time together over the last several years that even my close friends began wondering if I played both sides. 😂 He was truly my best friend. Never questioned anything. If I needed him he was there and it never EVER got weird with him. Just my brother.

Scott my brother, I miss you so much. I’m sorry I couldn’t do more to help you in this fight and it guts me that you lost this fight. I promise to honor your memory with every positive thing I can and never forget how you influenced me, my child, our mutual friends and even random strangers. I love you. 

Dear beloved Scott, the world is a lonely place without your beautiful smile and genuine friendship. My deepest condolences to your family and precious friends. You are missed and loved forever.