The moment your hands connected with those 6 strings is truly when the magic happened. You could see it in your eyes and hear it in your voice whenever you played. The passion you had for playing guitar was synonymous to the passion you had for your family. That is the first lesson you taught me before I heard the news of your illness.

I remember the toy purple electric guitars that you got Justin, Alaina, and I for Christmas that one year when Grandma was still with us. I remember how even she lit up at the sound of our joy as we played those purple guitars and yelled horrible melodies into the toy microphones. For those who do not know, our Grandmother was blind. Yet, every facial expression she had made was a clear indicator about her feelings. She loved that gift just like she loved you.

Before I continue, I would like to share that my Uncle Patrick Kennedy passed on January 2nd, 2017. Since our family is quite small, we will not be holding a funeral service for him, which has prompted me to write about the amazing man that was Uncle Patrick. In this time of grieving, I feel that it is important to focus on the light that my uncle brought to this world while he was here. It is important to focus on the love he had for his family and friends, as family was always his “number one.”

To Uncle P, as we liked to call him, family was always number one. I remember one Christmas where he went into the front yard and was screaming how much he loved my family. Whenever he was with his family at any Christmas party, he typically cried at every gift he received. Every tear that he shed was a sign to me that meant family should always be the guiding light for you. I have always kept that lesson in my back pocket whenever I'm feeling frustrated about my daily life. You taught me that family is the one thing I can always rely on and love endlessly. You showed me that through your love for your son Shane. You were always so proud of him and downright loved him. There will always be a special relationship held between a father and a son, which I believe the two of you will always possess even when apart. Your love and pride in Shane will always be something that I admire.

When I called to wish you a happy birthday about a month ago, there was a rawness to our conversation. Even at a vital part of your life, you still wanted to hear about me, your “Beanie.” I always admired you for how humble you were. Always just so happy to be alive and in good company. It is rare to find someone that constantly gets through obstacles and remains so optimistic about life. That rawness and realness speak volumes in a world filled with people trying to compete as a false version of themselves. You never rolled that way. It was always about being honest with yourself and being true to who you were.

Your passing has been hard on all of those of those that love you. You're with Grandma and Sassy now. I am sure they are loving the company. The view is probably amazing up there and I hope you can continue to look down to see Alaina’s wedding alongside Grandma. Suffering is never easy, but you were such a trailblazer through the whole thing. I'm glad that I know when I am looking up that I have one more angel looking down on my family and I as well as those that you loved. God surely has received another guitarist for his band and he got the best of the best. I will never forget your guitar solos when the family got together on special occasions. Just know that in this time of grieving we celebrate you and all the joy to brought to our lives. I can't wait to tell my future children the stories about my smooth, guitar playing uncle, his love for his son, and the value of family.

Forever and always looking up at the stars for you,

Your family