In short: This is a real, unedited talk I gave one night to a group of men in recovery. I shared my son Lance's story exactly as I told it that night, honestly and from the heart. It is emotional, and I am not a public speaker, but the purpose is simple. I want to remind anyone who is struggling that their life matters, that the people around them love them, and that one person's story can reach another.
Lance was born on May 16th of 1996, one of the best days of my life. He grew up a good kid, a star football player who broke a county record for tackles his senior year. He went off to college, then joined the Marines, and like a lot of families we walked through hard seasons together. I am not going to dress it up or hide it. He struggled, and our family struggled alongside him, and I made the best calls I knew how to make as his daddy, some of them the hardest of my life. I share it plain because someone out there needs to hear it told honest.
After we lost Lance, his friends started calling from all over, from here to Alaska, telling me the impact he had on their lives. Things I never knew. That is the heart of this whole talk. You have an impact on somebody, good or otherwise, and most times you never hear it until it is too late. So I want the men in that room, and anyone watching now, to know it while they can: you matter to people, more than you know. Do not let your story end before they get to tell you.
I will be honest that I got angry, at Lance and at God both. But through that week I felt God meet me in small ways I could not explain away, in old memories coming back and in a song that played when I needed it most. It brought me closer to Him. I do not stand up front easy, but I felt like I had help finding the words that night. Mostly I just wanted to tell these men to hold on to what they learn in a place like that, to lean on the people beside them, and to make the next right decision when it comes.
Lance, I want you to know how much I love you and how much I miss you every single day. You were a good kid, a good man, and you mattered more than you ever knew. I will keep telling your story as long as I have breath in me.
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Join THE CAMPFIRE, freeIt is a real, unedited talk I gave to a group of men in recovery. I share my son Lance's story and the message that every life matters and that each of us has an impact on the people around us.
Because I hope it reaches even one person who needs to hear it. My prayer is simple, that someone watching feels seen, remembers they matter, and knows they are not alone.
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