Home

I am home from Houston. Of course, home will never be the same again. I turn my attention to Colby's Celebration of Life service, scheduled for August 12, and quickly become overwhelmed, not because there is so much to do, but because for me, anything to do with it is so depressing. I am burying my only child and I see a life of such emptiness ahead of me that it is almost unbearable. I order the urn and pick out photos for a slide show several of his friends are putting together. That's all I can manage right now.

Friends call. That helps. Friends email. That helps, too. I feel a little better but I am oh so tired. Money is an issue and I worry about the expenses of the Celebration. Many people have chipped in to help and I am very, very grateful. But still I worry. When you have a child with a mental illness you do everything you can to get help. To that end I spent thousands of dollars, gladly. Then Colby would refuse to go to a doctor's appointment or refuse to participate in testing. That is part of the illness. As frustrating as it was for me, it must have been a thousand times more frustrating for him. My bright, talented, funny, kind, caring boy.

I am glad to hear so many are sending small donations to Grandpa's House. That is a positive thing that will help others like Colby. There are few facilities in the world that help with mental illness and addiction in a loving residential environment. This is one of them. Their website will be up soon. In the meantime the many people who have asked me about them can find them at 2479 Murfreesboro Rd. #183, Nashville, TN 37217, 615-586-6946. If you send a donation, please note that it is in memory of Colby.