Thomas Carlton Messer

In Loving Memory of Tom Messer

Dear Uncle Tom,

The impact you had on us, the morals you followed, the type of person you were, there's nothing and nobody in the world that could replace who you were. You've shown us compassion; you've shown us your wisdom. You've taught me valuable life lessons and shown me how far kindness can take you in life. I looked up to you like more than a father, but like a mentor teaching their students. You taught me kindness, you showed me how to empathise with one another, and even taught me patience.

As you watched me grow up, you made sure my childhood was one like no other. The trips we would take, making up songs along the way ("We're on an adventure, a great adventure, we're going to make Zeon cry all day") taking me and Eden around the huge neighborhoods during Halloween and enforcing candy tax, even the lengths you went to during Christmas to make me believe in Santa.

I remember the time you showed me a Santa tracker and told me he was coming to your house. We left the apartment to see if he had arrived, and once we came back, the entire living room of the apartment was full of presents. You used to make me believe I had magic powers, whenever I would go up to your car and say "Unlock it, " it would unlock.

We used to both love getting donuts from Dunkin Donuts, but he used to tell me, because of his health, he had to sometimes eat imaginary donuts, "whole donuts". I remember the time you took us to see the airplanes in DC and I seemed uninterested and all I wanted to do was go eat, even the time when I whined and cried when we went to the Olive Garden and I wanted to go to Taco Bell and you taunted me by eating the food as if it was a gourmet five star meal just to get at me for whining.

I used to give you hell at times, but you handled every situation with a gentle heart, and I've learned from that and all those other experiences. It's genuinely unreal to me that you're gone now, meaning I can't listen to your stories anymore or hear you crack jokes, or even talk about your day. I don't want to believe you're truly gone.

I wanted you to someday see me and Eden graduate college, start a family, and even get to meet your grandchildren, but I know you'll be watching from a better view in Heaven. I hope your soul is resting easy, especially after every hardship you've been through in life.

I am thankful that you helped me and my mother when we had little to nothing to begin with. I'm thankful you gave me and Eden an extraordinary childhood, a childhood most children dream about. I'm glad you taught me the lessons you did, and most importantly, I'm more proud of how far you've come.

Through and through again, no matter what state of your life you were in, you stayed determined, even in the hardest moments, you found faith and happiness. I just wish we could've seen each other one last time.

May your mercy, peace, and love live in abundance in our souls as your soul lives eternally in peace. I love you so very much.

From your God Son.

– Zeon.