For Cailean, On Behalf of Mariel

Last Night I laid down in bed, shut my eyes, and saw Cailean smile and I was finally able to breath again. Cailean’s smile was contagious and inspiring. He loved being with family and friends and everyone loved being around him.

He had an endless supply of talent. Cailean and I shared a love of nature and being outdoors. I taught him how to be a great frog catcher. He practiced and practiced and like the boys at the Manitoga Camp where I worked said– He was the Ultimate Catcher. Cailean would wake up early on his summer days to come to work with me. He was 11 and loved being a role model to all the boys there.

At the same age Cailean was enjoying another passion of his–tennis. Both of our parents passed on the love of this game to my brother, sister, and I. My dad would hit around with him and pass on his knowledge. Cailean took those lessons and ran with them. It wasn’t long before he was better than all of us and we were all trying to find a way to beat him.

Cailean’s passion for music encompassed his whole spirit. Growing up in a house of music, he learned to appreciate all of the different styles. He would go to Texas concerts with my parents and Dave Matthews with my sister and I. All of this music inspired him to be a great musician. The guitar, song-writing, and singing became his therapy in a world that presented a lot of challenges.

As Cailean got older and taller it became obvious he was going to excel at basketball. He would play with anyone, at any time and he always had the fire in his eyes that said, ?I am going to win.? He inherited the Celtic pride and he was a fighter.

Before Cailean was born, I always wanted a little sister because I didn’t know what a brother could be like. Over all the years, through all of the talent and knowledge he acquired I felt pride and joy that I only associate with one other person, my son. Cailean appreciated Dexter in a way that I never thought a teenage boy would be able to. It is now my purpose to teach Dexter about his amazing uncle and it is all of our jobs to remember Cailean Walker and help his spirit and passion for life and laughter to live on.