in memory of scotty

you know those phone calls that seem to stop time. the kind where the person on the other side pauses and each word comes out making you feel heavier than the last. the phone calls where you're heart starts beating so hard you can feel it in your throat. those are the phone calls that you will never forget. the ones that will live with you forever. they have the ability to turn your whole world upside down. In my life, I've been lucky enough to only get a few of those horrifying phone calls. today was one of those days.

Scott burgin was one of the best friends a person could ask for. and if you knew him, you already knew that. you would also know that it was a blessing to have him in your life because Scott was and will always be one of a kind. he was kind to all, reliable, and a very special person. he lived his life to the fullest and always brought joy to those around him. i know he would be sad to know that all of us were hurting without him, because Scott, he would never want to hurt anyone.

I remember the first time we met, we were in 5th grade and I just went up to him on the playground and started talking. we played four square every day after that. we've been friends ever since. and although we didn't keep in touch all the time, Scott and i always had a special bond. we just knew things. and even after months without seeing each other, we never felt like we had been apart.


he always said the nicest things to me. i remember all of the times that he was there for me. I remember he came to my house after my surgery and instead of looking at me with pity, he layed down on mom's bed with me and handed me a card. The card said "to my handicapped friend" and I couldn't stop laughing. at a time when everyone felt bad for me and i was stuck in a bed, he knew how to make me laugh. he had a way of knowing what needed to be said and when, to make me feel better.

i wish i could have been there for him, to make him feel better.

Scott was a great person. he always smiled at me and brought so many happy moments to my life. . he was so gentle and down to earth, it made others so comfortable around him. we shared lots of special moments together, as I'm sure many others did. and i know Scott lived every moment in his life that way. he was always full of questions and wonder with the world and everything around him.

I've heard this poem before, but i think it fits Scott better than any other person. i know he would have liked it.


The Dash - by Linda Ellis

I read of a man who stood to speak
At the funeral of a friend
He referred to the dates on the tombstone
From the beginning to the end

He noted that first came the date of his birth
And spoke the following date with tears,
But he said what mattered most of all
Was the dash between those years

For that dash represents all the time
That he spent alive on earth.
And now only those who loved him
Know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not how much we own;
The cars, the house, the cash,
What matters is how we live and love
And how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard.
Are there things you’d like to change?
For you never know how much time is left,
That can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough
To consider what’s true and real
And always try to understand
The way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger,
And show appreciation more
And love the people in our lives
Like we’ve never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect,
And more often wear a smile
Remembering that this special dash
Might only last a little while.

So, when your eulogy is being read
With your life’s actions to rehash
Would you be proud of the things they say
About how you spent your dash?





scotty, i love you. and i always will. thanks for sharing your short life with me. I'm so happy i got to be a part of it. thanks for the laughs, thanks for holding my hand when i was sad. thanks for treating me with love and respect. thanks for all of the memories i get to keep with me. thanks for believing in me. thanks for being my friend. I'll never forget you.

ill forever be your stargirl
love you Scott