Click below to hear music.

JACK MICHAEL FITZPATRICK

June 29, 1994 - September 2, 2001

If I could use just one word to describe Jack, it would be delight.  His smile gave way to delight in all the things he loved, whether it was playing Nintendo with his Dad, or a trip to the toy aisle at his beloved Wal Mart, or throwing rocks for Tiger to fetch and bring back to him in the backyard, or knowing each and every Pokemon character; playing with his friends at school or his best friends, Luke and Ian; learning to read and getting lost in his books and even delighting in reading to his little sister, Abby.  He delighted in playing with his Power Rangers and Transformers.  He inherited his Dad's talent for pieces and parts and all things mechanical.  He would work and work and work at Lego kits and Transformers until he could do them in his sleep, then take them apart and do them all over again.  Our nephew, Nick, now grown, married and a Dad himself, shares the story of visiting us in Georgia from Vermont and playing literally for hours on the floor with Jack as they built some transforming robot that was apparently a bit of a trying model.  Nick would barely finish it and Jack would immediately ask him to transform it to the other character it could be...and they did that over and over together.

Jack was THE definition of resilience and courage.  He endured pain beyond belief, pain that could not easily be controlled, and that tore my heart to shreds to watch, and yet he was never one to waste his time wallowing in it.  When the episode was over, it was over, and on he moved, as if he understood that allowing the effects of the disease to steal one more second was to let it take not only the parts of his body that were impacted, but a part of his spirit too.  And he would have none of that!

I have so many memories of him that make me smile, but what I cherish the most is remembering how, when I would come home from work and walk up the stairs, he would fling the door open and hug me around the waist and yell "Mom, you're home!!"  I am so lucky, so humbled, so grateful to have been his mom for his time here on earth, and I look forward to getting to Heaven, seeing Jack fling the door open, hug me around the waist and yell "Mom, you're home!!"  Its gonna be great!

A CHILD OF MINE
by Edgar A. Guest

I will lend you, for a little time,
A child of mine, He said.
For you to love the while he lives,
And mourn for when he's dead.
It may be six or seven years,
Or twenty-two or three.
But will you, till I call him back,
Take care of him for Me?
He'll bring his charms to gladden you,
And should his stay be brief.
You'll have his lovely memories,
As solace for your grief.
I cannot promise he will stay,
Since all from earth return.
But there are lessons taught down there,
I want this child to learn.
I've looked the wide world over,
In search for teachers true.
And from the throngs that crowd life's lanes,
I have selected you.
Now will you give him all your love,
Nor think the labour vain.
Nor hate me when I come
To take him home again?
I fancied that I heard them say,
'Dear Lord, Thy will be done!'
For all the joys Thy child shall bring,
The risk of grief we'll run.
We'll shelter him with tenderness,
We'll love him while we may,
And for the happiness we've known,
Forever grateful stay.
But should the angels call for him,
Much sooner than we've planned.
We'll brave the bitter grief that comes,
And try to understand.