Sweet Nathan,

Ever since you were a little boy, you were a young man.

I still remember you being in 1st grade, dressed to perfection and always looking sharp in your clothes.

My favorite thing about you was the way you carried yourself. You always had your head held high, hands in your pockets and that smirk on your face that said it all – I’m confident.

You weren’t a man of many words. You were more of an observer in many cases. There could be 1000 people in the room, or 5 people in the room, it didn’t matter. You always sat back and waited for your moment to say what you wanted to say and make your point … and you made it well.

I’ll never forget the time you spent the night with us. You actually asked me, “Can I help you with the dishes?” I remember looking at you in disbelief, thinking, “Did this 6th grader actually ask me this question?” You looked at me, waiting for a response. I thought you were kidding, but you weren’t. You really meant it. I was so impressed. To this day, no one has ever asked me if they could help me do dishes, and I have three men living in this house with me.

Nathan, you had a “smirk”. It was a smart, cognitive, thought-provoking smirk. You used that smirk when thinking about anything from a question to an answer. It was powerful and again, confident. It is almost as if you could (a) read minds (b) knew what people were going to say and (c) had prepared your response. You had this ability at age 7, and you used it well.

Nathan was wonderful to my daughter Keeley. He was sweet on the trampoline with her, making sure she wouldn’t get trampled, stepped on, or hurt. I wish he brothers felt the same way.

Nathan, you are missed. John is still so upset that he can’t focus. He loved you. I loved you. I was hoping one day that I’d be the old lady in the Galveston condo asking you for financial advise, stock advice and retirement advice. You would have been my ‘financial guru’. I had this planned since you were young. I knew you’d be a trustworthy and professional advisor. I’m definitely going to miss out on your stock advise. I knew you’d be a good one.

Rest in Peace, sweet Nathan. If I know you, you’ll be up in heaven, telling God how to manage his affairs, from nations to presidents, from politics to foreign affairs, accounts to money- making ideas any anything business related.

I will also miss that face. Your infectious smile and sweetness will always stand out in my mind.

I will never forget you. Thanks for being a friend to my kids, but also for being my friend. Rest in peace, sweet Boy, and watch over your brothers and sisters- be the angel you always were to them. This time you have a better view from above.