Death. Yes, by dictionary definition it means to die, but outside of that it means so much more. Death is the absence of a loved one, a friend, a family member, and an inspiration. It is the replacement of life with something to remember. It is also the making of an inspiration. I have been through a lot of deaths, all of which were hard, but the one that has inspired me the most is that of Matt Schmitt. Matt was my dad's best friend and throughout my life became a surrogate uncle to me. He was one of the coolest people I have had the chance to meet. I remember everything that happened the week that I found out he was gone.
It was 10:00 A.M. on a Thursday, during the summer of 2007. I woke up to the sound of the phone ringing. “Hello?” I answered, “Oh hey mom, what’s up?” The next words that my mom would say would be the words that would never leave my mind. “Bailey,” my mom said in her calm and kind voice, “Matt passed away this morning.” At that moment it was as if the whole world stopped except for me and I went back to the last time I saw Matt. It was on Sunday when we went to a baseball game.
For almost four days I cried. “It is so unfair!” I thought, “He means something to so many people! How can he be gone?” My mom tried to explain to me that everyone has there time to go and sometimes it isn’t fair. I have never understood why things like this happen to good people. On the day of his funeral I couldn’t bring myself to go. Instead I helped another grieving friend. I didn’t want to see him in a casket with other sad people. I wanted to remember Matt as the fun, energetic, and hilarious person I knew.
A year after his death we visited his grave. The car ride up to the cemetery I had a million thoughts racing through my mind. "Yes, I had seen his grave before, but has it really been a whole year?" "Has it really been a whole entire year without our baseball games?" It was unreal, but true. At Matt’s grave we laughed, talked about funny things that Matt did, and the good times we shared with him. It was not as sad as I thought it would be.
Now I think about Matt every day. I miss him so much and I would give the world to spend one more day with him. In hundreds of ways he has inspired me to do good for others. He lived a great life and nothing can ever change that. Horace Bushnell once said, “The more difficulties that one faces, within and without, the more significant and higher in inspiration his life will be.” In so many ways this explains Matt’s life. I know, in my heart, that Matt has had the ability to touch not only my life, but many others’ too. I hope that I may be able to do the same some day. He has taught me to cherish what I have, while I have it, because I never know when it will be gone.
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