To the Editor,
Words cannot express?.
When our beloved Matt was taken from us much too soon, those were the words we heard from countless friends, neighbors and community members over and over again.? Now we find ourselves feeling the same sentiment.? Words cannot express how incredibly grateful and overwhelmed we are feeling by the support, compassion and kindness shown to us by those around us.? From the thousands who stood for hours at Matt's wake and attended the service, to the cards and prayers of support and the meals, flowers, etc. Your kind words and gestures mean the world to us and kept us going during this incredibly difficult time. They say your wealth is measured by your friends and today we feel like the wealthiest family in the world.
We miss Matt every minute of every day, and feel a great void in our lives without him.? What has comforted us are the many stories we have heard from hundreds of people about how Matt had a profound impact and made a difference in their lives – both in the way he lived, and the way he died. It has confirmed for us what an amazing and incredible person he was – and we know he was put on this earth for a reason.? Abraham Lincoln said, “It's not the years in your life that count.? It's the life in your years.”? Matt lived his life to the fullest and served as a role model and inspiration to us all, teaching us to live every day to the fullest and focus on what matters most in life.
Thank you again to everyone for your love and support, and thank you Matt for the beautiful gift of your life, which has changed us forever and will live in our hearts until we meet again.
Natalie, Jim, A.J. and Lauren Bruce
??? For more on the life of Matt Bruce, visit http://communityadvocate.com/2014/03/25/matthew-r-bruce-26-2.