I never thought I would have to be writing about what legacy my son leaves behind. His life was too short.  Since he never married or had children, I guess what Matthew leaves behind is memories of a beautiful person who enjoyed his 17 years on this earth.  He stood for good and had a sweet nature. He was a wonderful son and brother. He helped out if he could and had a genuine concern for people. He was funny and energetic and was interested in so many things, and never afraid to try new things, although he was cautious! He was a well rounded kid who was involved in a wide variety of activities.  He wasn't only into running or playing hockey but loved many things: band, ski club, honor society, and he was very interested in World War II, planes and starting a career in medicine.  He talked about taking flight lessons when he became a doctor-he had it all planned out, and worked so hard to reach his goals. He was a very organized person.  His room was kept neat and he had boxes that were labeled, everything placed just so.  He kept everything-  He had saved every card, ticket stub, business card, etc. and had them neatly organized in his desk. He also loved to read-maybe not so much in the past couple of years, but he had so many books and read all of them.

I am just so sorry his dreams and goals were cut short on this earth and I will never understand why he was taken.  He never hurt anyone, and just worked so hard to be a good student, son, brother and boyfriend.

After his funeral, we recieved a letter from a man who taught the SAT prep course who gave his condolences and then said that in the short time that he taught Matthew, he could tell he was the kind of student that most teachers dream about having!

I only wish I could be more like him!