I wanted to thank the nearly 60 people who came out to the EricJames candlelight vigil on Friday. It just shows how many people he touched during his brief life. Thank you to those who stood up and shared your words with us and those who wrote them down. I also have to give a HUGE thank you to everyone who contributed towards his memorial scholarship fund. We raised almost $250.00! We’re nearly half way there. To the person(s) who donated that $100.00 bill, you are a selfless, kind and caring human, THANK YOU DEARLY! If you didn’t get a chance to donate or were unable at that time and would still like to do so, please contact me. Our goal is to be able to offer a $500 scholarship to a local LGBT individual. Again, thank you for your support in honoring EJ in this way.
Attendees were asked to write down their thoughts, words and/or feelings to EricJames or words of encouragement to others who may be struggling. They placed those words in a container during our song of silence. I would like to share some of them with you now. I wasn’t able to write all of them down because there were so many and some were quite long, but rest assured that I at least put in a quote from every one received. Thank you all for your participation and beautiful words….
“Thank you for being here for me, even if you aren’t here. You are always in my thoughts.”
“I still remember the first time we met. Love you.”
“Eric, I love and miss you. Thanks for saving my life.”
“My sweet angel, I love you and you are the reason I have hope. I promised I would never let you down and I mean it. Forever fighting for you and forever here for you.”
“I know we never met but I wish we did. Even though you’re gone you have impacted so many lives. We love you Eric!”
“Eric, I don’t know what to say other then that I miss you and love you so much. You were the best friend I have ever had. I know we were young, but I’ve never had a friend like you. I’ll cherish memories of you forever. I love you.”
“EricJames, I love you! Thank you for all of you and leaving your spirit with all of us!”
“You’ve touched so many lives and are still such an influence even after you’re gone. Can’t wait to see you again someday. With all my love.”
“Hope is never silent. Help is always just a phone call, text or click online away. The world will never be the same without you.”
“From the moment I met you, I knew you were special! You had a talent of making anyone smile, even when they needed it most. I wish I could have shown you how special you are to me. You changed my life forever.”
“I’m so sorry the world won’t get to see what you could have done.”
“I can’t believe it’s already been a year. I still think of you. So many things remind me of you but thinking of you makes me smile.”
“Eric, you meant the world to me. I will always love you EJ. Thank you for being in my life for a reason, a season and a lifetime.”
“EJ, puppy’s miss you. Air Hugs”
“I’m glad to have my guardian angel by my side forever sharing in every loving memory. I have you in my heart 4ever.”
“You were the only one I shared my writing to for years. I wish you were here to write with me. Miss you beautiful.”
“Eric, I love and miss you. Baja Chalupa!”
“Sweet Eric, may you rest, laugh and continually dance and make music”
“I will never give up on my dreams because of you.”
“There is always another day.”
“You have the most amazing niece and nephew; they will grow up hearing wonderful stories about you.”
“RIP Eric, I miss you so much and wish you could be here. I’ll never forget you.”
Although we are honoring EricJames and how he touched our lives, please know, we aren’t glorifying his death. Suicide should never be an option for anyone. It’s permanent, there’s no second chance. It’s not glamorous, it’s not the answer and as you can see from above, you leave this earth empty of all that you were meant to do. You leave behind many who love you and were meant to continue being touched by your life. You REALLY DO matter and you REALLY DO make a difference in this world. PLEASE reach out for help if you need it. Dial 1-866-488-7386 for the Trevor Lifeline or 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Talk to me. I’m not afraid or ashamed to talk about suicide, you shouldn’t be either. Talk to someone. Never give up…