I need an outlet where I can say what I want and be uncut, this is my place. This is the story about Matt that I mentioned earlier after reading my friend Sab's post about Tay. There are moments in life where you just know they are important to your future. You don't know how, quite yet, but you know it is a moment you will remember forever. My last day of 8th grade, 11 years ago, is one of those days with one of those moments that I will always remember and have held dear since that day. You see, that day one of my friends, Matt, that I had known for a few years at that point, he and I started talking about high school and our futures and our dreams. I wanted to go to The University of Alabama and become an athletic trainer. Matt wanted to go to The University of Georgia and play football. I remember thinking it would be cool if I ended up with a NFL that he was drafted to, I knew he had real talent. Sadly how my high school was set up with class scheduling Matt and I never had classes together so we lost touch in the sea of 2,000 students. Our junior year I heard the news that Matt had been diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma, a cancer of the bone. He had to give up football to fight, and he did and was in remission. He relapsed our senior year and it became terminal. I never cried during graduation until we got to Matt's name which was said in his honor because he could not attend from his frailty and there was a standing ovation for him. Tears just ran down my face. He passed away weeks later. After hearing of his diagnosis and his relapse I knew I had to live out our dreams and every major step along the way I did it for him and in his honor. I did decide on a different major and went with education at The University of Alabama. In 2007 Alabama played UGA in Tuscaloosa. I was in the stands and I was sad when Alabama lost, but what hurt worse was the thought that I should have been cheering on Matt at the same time and we should've had a picture on the field after the game. It hurt my heart. In 2008 I started having health issues and by the time I graduated from The University of Alabama I knew it was probably cancer. A week and a half after graduation I knew it was true. There has always been one connection over these years, his song. In 7th grade English we had a project to incorporate music and he LOVED Garth Brooks "Friends in Low Places." It made me laugh, because well he was just goofy and funny like that and I love to laugh. It's well known that, that song was his song. It never fails though that when I've been scared about a medical test or finding out about a new chemo regime that his song comes on the radio. I don't know how to explain it but it brings comfort and in cancer fighting and coping with other's passing that you find hope and faith in the little things. I generally cry at the beginning while belting the song but end up laughing by the end because I am comforted by the song. My most recent connection came when I was in Houston last September finding out about the chemo trial I was going to start and low and behold "Friends in Low Places" comes on and I knew I was in the right place and on the right track. I can confirm that since I will be having my stem cell transplant in just a few weeks a few days after Matt's birthday. I knew he'd be proud.
