Farewell...

Today I received word that a friend of mine from highschool passed away. Marc Patrick Oswald was an amazing person! He had a smile that would light up the room and a sparkle in his eye. He was entertaining, athletic and handsome. We used to call him "Baby New Year" because his ears were so cute. He loved to play jokes on people. I only attended school with Marc for half a year at HVA. He went forward and gave his heart to God during the same week of prayer that I did, but a struggle with alcohol and drugs caused the school to kick him out halfway through the year. I never saw him again...

The school may have given up on him, but God did not. Marc was able to kick his drug/drinking habit and was on his way to a brighter future when he dove into a river during a picnic outing, and broke his neck. As he floated down the river face down, he asked God to save him. Two strangers pulled him toward the shore and held his head above water. Marc's positive attitude was barely shaken by quadriplegia. His faith remained strong and people say he was an inspiration- always offering encouragement and cheering people up in the hospital. I'm sorry I didn't have the chance to know Marc more than I did. I searched in vain for him several times so I could write to him, but nobody ever seemed to know where he was or how he was doing. Sad- how we all get so disconnected and the first news I heard of him since the accident was that at 32, he passed away. I am incredibly sad.... I sit looking at his smiling picture on the program from his memorial and it's hard to imagine someone who loved life so much could be gone... Today was not one of my better days. Don't know what else to say.