Kieran Anthony Archuleta

Remembering Kieran It wasn't easy getting Kieran into the world, sixteen years ago. It took a few years for his mom to get pregnant. Even then Kieran was reluctant to enter the world; he was 10 days late, and labor kept stalling. He was perfectly happy where he was. When he was finally born his dad took ten weeks off from work to be with him and the family. It was a special time to bond with him but it wasn't long before his sister took over as his special mommy. Having looked at several photos over the last few days we noticed that many of them are of his sister holding and cuddling him. She had to have her little Kieran with her everywhere she went; they were as close as siblings could be. Kieran's first few weeks were spent in wide-eyed wonder, soaking in everything about the world around him, always with a kind of intense and serious look on his face. Then when he was a month or two old that intense look turned to a face full of smiles and joy. He was the happiest most loving child you can imagine. Kieran grew into a sweet, kind, considerate and intelligent person. Anyone who knew him could tell you this. He was a loyal friend, standing by you in any difficulty or handicap. He was a loving and helpful family member, and was so loved in return. Kieran had so many things he did and was interested in. Early on he was crazy for dinosaurs, and he played T-ball and soccer. He became fascinated with robotics and how things work. He was always interested in science and nature. As he got a little older he joined karate and absolutely loved it. He loved to hang out with his brother's friends and talk with the older kids. He joined marching band and JROTC in high school, and these were very important activities for him. He loved to hunt and go to the shooting range, and was interested in weapons and munitions. He was always captivated by conflagration. When he was very young, one night after a fireworks display he insisted on taking his little bag of firecrackers to bed with him, to sleep with them under his pillow since he couldn't bear to let go of them. At his parties and camping he greatly enjoyed having his camp fires. Kieran had a quiet side as well. He enjoyed trying new teas, and cooking and music; rain and misty green forests. He would go on hikes up into the foothills and boil water on his tiny backpackers stove to make tea, drink a cup then head on back. He would go outside to feel the rain or walk in the fog. He grew plants from seeds of wildflowers. Around the house there was always a Kieran experiment of some kind or another going on. You never knew what you might find hiding in the freezer or sitting in the yard. As many of you know, he loved to have parties. He would have friends over to play video games, dance, talk, sit in the hot tub, have a bonfire and tell stories. Kieran was a great story teller and could recite lines from movies and shows he had seen. His Grandma said "you really hadn't seen a movie until you heard it from Kieran!" As a family we did so much together every year of his life. We often went camping, hiking and backpacking. He loved being in nature, the forest, the rocks, the high tundra and cold mountain lakes. He enjoyed rock climbing and wall climbing... he was the only kid we knew that we had to wipe his footprints off the walls and ceiling! One of his nick names was Spidey. We built and launched multistage model rockets when he was younger. He loved them so much that his dad's great friend Pat called him "Rocket Boy" for a couple of years. He modified his toys to be rocket engine propelled, and designed his own fireworks and mini explosions. We also went on trips quite often. His brother went to college in California so we spent a lot of time there the last few years. He liked California Adventure and the great redwoods. Disney World in Florida was a favorite, and Kieran would ride some really scary neck-breaking rides and would maintain a perfectly composed expressionless face. On our 25th wedding anniversary Kieran joined us for a cruise to Alaska. He enjoyed the different ports, kayaking, and the breathtaking scenery, but Ketchikan, where he rode a zip-line thru the rainforest canopy, was his favorite. He planned to return when he was 18 to work there for the summer, in one of the rainiest places in the world. As a family we thought everything was good; everyone well and happy, mostly. There were times when Kieran was unhappy, and there were more times that he was happy, as it is with each of us. Looking back, we saw he had a darker side to his personality, evidenced in the video games to some extent, and by the stories and humor he seemed more recently drawn to. We worked to involve him more in the many other things he had always been interested in before; to go out and enjoy the outdoors, to visit new places, and to see movies or read books with more uplifting themes. We thought the low place he seemed to be in more often in the last few months would pass, as we loved and supported him as he found his way to adulthood. We thought he did speak to us. We thought we did listen. We wish so very much we had recognized the signs of deeper sadness and fear. We wish so much we had listened harder, and found ways to help him truly communicate with us. Right now we feel such loss we don't know how we can face each day. We are sharing this with you to help you remember to share with each other the need to listen fully and with intent to understand. To remember to share with each other the strength to speak your fears, the courage to show your vulnerability and seek to be heard. It isn't easy to allow others to see what you may feel is weakness, or the fear that you are bad, or that you are just afraid, or lost or confused. Please encourage each other to try, and try again if no one seems to be listening. Kieran somehow felt he could not share his deepest fears and feelings. Together we might help keep this from happening to some other unique, wonderful person. Thank you for visiting to remember and honor Kieran. Anthony, Kim, Nicolai and Rhyanne, Kieran's Family