After the Service

When the service for Andrew was over, we invited everyone back to the house for food.  I'm not sure if it is southern thing or not, but I'm grateful for the amount of food that was provided to us in those days following the accident.  I had no desire to cook or worry with it, and many people stepped in to make sure I didn't have to worry about it.  From friends, who are also coworkers, to the baseball team and neighbors, we had plenty to eat.  That night, the IT department from the hospital (coordinated by Cindy and Gary Finck) arranged for Moe's to cater.  Andrew loved Moe's but had not been eating it very often lately because of his diet, so he would have loved to have been there for that.  We enjoyed eating and sharing more stories and memories of Andrew.

It was also the first time all of my brothers and sisters were together in the same place since my step-mother passed away in 2000.  So we definitely had to capture it with pictures.  Although it was a very sad occasion, I was so grateful to have these people surrounding me.  There is no doubt in my mind that my family is my rock.  I had no idea how much I needed them then and I am not sure I can ever properly thank them for all they did.  I truly didn't have to worry about anything.  Each one of my siblings handled everything for me and made things effortless for me.  They anticipated my needs, without me having to verbalize them, and just jumped in and took care of everything.  They cried with me, laughed with me, and mostly encouraged me when I needed to hear that Andrew was loved and that his life mattered.

And my sweet Matt.  He was so worried about me I'm not sure he got to grieve his brother.  He is amazing in his own right and I don't want to ever forget to acknowledge what a great brother he is. He is the oldest so he got to set the example for Andrew.  He made mistakes, so Andrew knew what not to do, but he also showed Andrew how to be respectful to his mother, how to negotiate a later curfew or get presents before Christmas Day, and how to play video games over the internet.  It was fun watching them turn from mortal enemies to friends as they grew up.  The saddest part now is knowing Andrew will not be there as Best Man whenever Matt gets married.  Here is one of my favorites showing how much Matt loved his little buddy and then when we were together following Andrew's high school graduation.