The world lost a gem the day it lost you.
Tears flooded our eyes the moment we knew,
Our son, our brother, our best friend had gone;
Departed from us before the dawn.
Forever we all will remember that day,
Whether we were close, or too far away.
The last time we saw you, what words we shared;

How could I have not told you how much I cared?
How happy I was in the time we spared?
How enthralling were the endeavors we dared?
Now, all those words are chaired.

Set aside for a day unbeknownst to me.
Who knows when again your face I will see?
I can surely say, it is too far away.

My heart aches as it out pours my thoughts.
My stomach is riddled with never ending knots.
My eyes - insatiable is their hunger for tears.
My dreams, constantly deluding me of my fears.
I still wake up each morning and know
That you left us some time ago.
No matter how hard I try to sleep it away...
I cannot escape the events of that day.
I cannot escape the deep regret.
I cannot escape the wonders of yet.
Looking forward, what for you life would deem,
Watching you fulfill your every dream.
Never will I be a spectator of the show
Of the amazing life you'd lead, I know.
Forever more now, I will look back to the time
When you sat beside me, my partner in crime.
If we can say anything, it's that we knew
You had our backs, tried and true.
If there was just one more thing we could do,
It would have to be thanking you.
For all the things that you have done
From listening to our problems, to soccer in the sun.
A caring man, the most genuine friend,
You looked out for all of us, even at the end.

You are so important. I wish you could have seen
How much you truly mean
Even if it were just a glean
How much we loved you.
How much we still love you.
How much we will always
Love you.

The world lost a gem, a friend, and role model
The day it lost you, Austin James Stadel.