MY SON'S NAME IS MATTHEW.
MATTHEW MICHAEL. THERE'S A VIEW FROM MY KITCHEN,
AND HE WOULD ALWAYS STAND THERE AND SAY,
"MOM, THAT'S A GREAT VIEW. I LOVE TO JUST STAND HERE
AND DRINK IT IN." HE SAYS, "MY MOM AND I HAD
A VERY SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP." HE SAYS, "I'VE HAD
AMAZING EXPERIENCES." HE SAYS, "I'VE MET THE MOST
INTERESTING PEOPLE." DID HE TRAVEL? BECAUSE HE SAID TO ME,
HE GOES, "THERESA, I TRAVELLED
THE WORLD." HE TRAVELLED WITH ME
WHEN I WAS WORKING, AND YEAH, WE WENT --
WOULDN'T HAVE TRADED THOSE -- WENT WITH BOB HOPE
TO THE PERSIAN GULF. WAS THERE SOMETHING
WHERE YOU ALLOWED YOUR SON TO GO OFF
AND DO SOMETHING. LIKE SEE THESE JETS,
AND YOU'RE LIKE, "OKAY." THAT'S TRUE. HE SAYS, "I EXPERIENCED
SO MUCH IN LIFE BECAUSE OF YOU." WHEN WE WERE ALL
GOING HOME FROM THE PERSIAN GULF,
WE MADE ONE LAST STOP AT AN ARMY BASE IN ITALY. AND WE LET MATT
GET UP IN THE COCKPIT AND TOOK A PICTURE OF HIM
THERE, YEAH. MATTHEW WAS MY ONLY CHILD. I THINK MATTHEW'S GREATEST
ACCOMPLISHMENT WAS MAKING PEOPLE AROUND HIM HAPPY. HE COULD BE SO EMPATHETIC
AND SO KIND AND THEN SO FUNNY. I MISS HIM A LOT. UM, DID YOUR SON HAVE STRUGGLES
HERE IN THE PHYSICAL WORLD PRIOR TO HIS DEPARTURE? OH, YEAH. HE WANTED TO APOLOGIZE
FOR AN ACTION. HE SAYS, "YOU KNOW I WOULD NEVER
DO ANYTHING TO HARM YOU OR, MORE IMPORTANTLY,
MYSELF." HE SAYS, "MY PASSING
WAS TRUE TRAGEDY." I FEEL LIKE HE TOOK
SOMETHING THAT CAUSED OR ATTRIBUTED
TO THE DEPARTURE. YEAH. HE SAYS THERE WERE THINGS
THAT YOU WOULDN'T HAVE KNOWN, THAT YOU MIGHT NOT
HAVE BEEN AWARE OF, OF WHAT WAS GOING ON.
