patrick said

The first thing I want to do, is to stand up in front of all of you, and say that I love my beautiful son. I love you Macky.

Many of you know that Katie and I, for years, were afraid this terrible call might come. His life was not just on the edge, it was sometimes deep into the darkness. All we could do was keep trying, fighting through the fear.

And then, somehow, his life began to change, slowly at first, with serious arrest avoidance tactics, because he was so tired of the justice system. And he found love, his beautiful Rachel. This loving couple were one month away from making a home together. In the last few months Macky was moving forward at an almost miraculous pace for him, as others have also observed, working, paying rent, planning his future.

He hoped to climb some of the high Colorado mountains with me, and was trying to get in shape. We would start up towards Bear Peak, Macky coughing up all the junk in his lungs, struggling with a chronic bad hip. Lastweek, he initiated and showed up for a trip to the doctor (he used to no show for doctors appointments) to get help quitting smoking, and called me proudly after 3 days with no cigarettes. And then off to our town's miracle sports Doctor Andy Pruitt, who nailed the diagnosis, to Macky's delight. He was actually eager to face what might be a difficult and uncertain surgery to get himself right for the things he wanted to do. And he could laugh about the past. Recently he gently ridiculed Katie and me for our first attempt at "Saving His Life," at age 16, when we had him kidnapped, by two 300 pound thugs, waking him up at 3AM, handcuffing him, and driving him to a boot camp in Utah. "Hey Mom and Dad, that worked out really well, didn't it?"

And all of a sudden it's politics, eager to vote for the first time, So what's up with these electoral votes.

He wanted to try school again, He said Dad, I don't want to go to learn a trade, I just want to learn.

Macky's loss is ... crushing, because the light was starting to shine, in his face and in ours. I had often prayed for Macky, asking God to help him find his way. And I am still trying to pray, and I give thanks for Macky's life. But sometimes I just cry out, Why Now? Oh God, why now? ....
In the cold light, we who have experienced years of alcoholism and addiction, and recovery, have seen this before. We know that it sometimes 'just happens' to recovering people. It's not really random, but still it just happens.

Please pray for Macky, and for me, and for Katie, and for Rachel, and for all who loved him.