Those Candles Are Burning

5,000 + candles are still burning brightly for:

Thomas O'Brien

who stepped off to heaven

on the wings of angels

yesterday.

At 21 years old, this young man has touched more hearts than a superstar;

has filled more souls with his tenderness and his warrior self than I can remember in a long time.

His eyes spoke to the world, as he took on a battle and fought like the warrior that he still is and will always be.

It has been an honor to know him on this earth; to have been able to talk with him and to hear his voice, read his posts and to know that he is now soaring on the wings of the great Eagle, dancing in the clouds and dancing in on the galaxies free from pain and earthly worries and strife.

He has made quite an impression in so many lives in such a short time on this earth.

When you think that just months ago; he wanted to achieve 5,000 friends on his facebook page as he fought this thing known as Cancer.

He achieved that as many put posts on their walls asking friends to send him a friend request; as others did the same thing.

The friends list grew; we all came to know him through his posts, through each other we came to know each other; people from all faiths, backgrounds, countries.

All coming together for one reason:

THOMAS O'BRIEN

 Those eyes, that smile, that grin and all that one had to do was feel his spirit;

and you were there.

You felt as if you had known him forever and somehow he was much older than his years.

An old soul here to gather people and bring them out of themselves and into grace.

He was filled with passion, with fun, with a determination and a love of people, of faith.

His mom was his rock and his greatest advocate. Debbie Koenig a Mother who stands by her son with all that she is,

and who shares him with the world through photographs and posts to keep all updated on those trips to the ER, blood transfusions and need for platelets, the fears of loss, the strength of a Mother fighting the fight.

Yet, a Mother who knows it is her son's fight, and respects his decisions and stands back just at his side to observe him and honor his choices.

 A love that we don't see so often these days and times, and all admire as we walk this journey with them offering support, love and compassion.

There have been great times, scary times, fun times, faith filled times and times of tremendous terror for both of them.

As big as the state of Texas is,

is is hard to imagine it holding all the emotions, all the love that these two have holding them now.

When I think of the 5,000 guardian angels as Thomas calls us;

I'm reminded of a few things.

Those 5,000 reflect his goal and success on Facebook.

But just think; that 5,000 knows at least one person that they have shared Thomas with; at least one!

So there we now have 10,000 who have shared him with another or two or twenty.

See how this works?

They have "payed it forward" by saying his name, by asking for thoughts, prayers, for someone else to light a candle for him in the last weeks, or yesterday or today.

Now if you can only visualize the power of that love and support

we're talking a lot of light here

and a lot of love, prayers and support

for our warrior Thomas and his beloved Mom Debbie.

Oh how I hope he felt that light in the last days of his life as he transitioned and took the angels hand!

So many of his guardian angels that he didn't even know about were lighting those candles and illuminating his path from such distance around our globe and still are.

In such love and light as he is now in the brightest of lights, as he soars.

At peace, free for that horrid disease

that robbed him from his youth and his joys of life as we know Cancer can.

Thomas O'Brien lived the length of his life and its width

regardless of his disease, in spite of its pain, its devastating side affects.

When that disease said "you cannot",

Thomas said, "watch me!"

He has inspired thousands to stand, to run, to embrace their moments, their days, their life and LIVE.

At 21 he has done more than many will do in a full life if they stay only in a comfort zone and make excuses of not trying!

From a wee lad, he loved to try things, he loved speed and wanted to race, to fly, to scuba.

He laughed, lived and loved, and had a strong belief and faith.

Those eyes show an old and loving and kind soul.

Thomas knew joy.

 I hope there is a red car in heaven

and he is behind the wheel or on a motorcycle in God's gang to ride wild

and free!

I thank him for all the joy, the tears, the tremendous fight he gave and showed by example the grace under fire

so that all can live their lives better and in a more giving way.

I admire him for the tattoo that he has taken with him to the Next Place and so beautifully described its significance to all of us, and the time he took in designing it as it represented so much in his faith, his battle against Cancer.

...

To think that just Saturday, as Debbie lay in bed with him; she was rubbing his back, and his shoulders (his wings) and then said to her dying son, 

"what is this?"

He said, "what is what?"

She replied, "right here" (and pushed at his shoulder blades on his back.)

Thomas said, "what?"

His mom then said,

"I think there are angel wings growing there"!

Thomas then laughed out loud and grinned!!

Sunday morning Thomas died in the arms of his beloved Mother,

he was born on a Sunday,

he died on a Sunday

on the day of his Heavenly Fathers Day.

Met on the other side by his Grandparents.

A young life

gone too soon

but I am certain he was met in the Next Place

by God who said,

"Welcome home son, job well done".

the candles are lit now

in honor and remembrance of a young man we know as Thomas

and for strength and gratitude

for a Mother who has loved beautifully and now will bury her only son.

We are standing with you

Debbie Koenig

and please take your time and remember to breathe.

There is no distance.

We Remember

HE remembers

 

 Walk in Beauty

DRSES

www.drsherryeshowalter.com