Our perfect and beautiful boy Luke Samuel arrived during a snowstorm on Thanksgiving Day 1985. We lost Luke to an accidental overdose on May 7, 2017. It was quite a journey in between.
Luke had a gift for making friends. The students in Luke’s first grade class were asked to describe themselves in one word. Luke chose the word “unique.” His friends were from all cultures and all religions. As soon as he could talk, he was having conversations with strangers, and could engage any one of any age. I remember him at 4 years’ old having a long conversation in a grocery store line with a man who had a hook arm. “Are you Captain Hook?” “No.” replied the man. “Do you live on a ship?” The man, who seemed initially offended, laughed, got down on his level, and spent time telling him the whole story of how he lost his arm. Luke sought out other unique people, listened to hear their stories, and I think people could sense his genuineness. His eyes would lock with theirs, and people felt compelled to share their lives with him.
Luke had a gift for music. As a toddler, he loved classical music and cried if we tried to change the station. He loved having a garage band, playing drums, guitar, and bass, all by ear. Luke said when he listened to music he heard each instrument separately. I would watch him play guitar or drums for hours and his instrument seemed to be an extension of his body. Music was in his heart and soul.
Luke’s story has ended, but our new chapter has just begun. We are on a journey to make his life and accidental overdose death have meaning. The only thing worse than losing Luke was if we never got to have him in our life. We are forever grateful that we got to be his Mom and Pop. We will tell Luke’s story and our story for as long as we live.
In Loving Memory, Luke’s Mom and Pop
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