When a person passes away, there is always someone there to say what a great person that they were. Truth be told, not everyone in the world is a great person. Because of this, most of us don't notice when someone truly special passes away.

Patrick Monaghan was one of these special people. Patrick was a great, good-hearted kid who lit up ever room that he entered. Patrick was truly "a man for others". Whether he was on Habitat for Humanity, volunteering at the soup kitchen, or tutoring children at the Gesu, Pat made the world a better place. Pat was one of my best friends. He was the kind of person who made you feel good all the time.

The horrible skiing accident that took Patrick's life was a shock to everyone who knew him. No one ever expected this to happen to such a young person. Even those who only met him a few times commented on what a wonderful guy he was.

Whether you knew him as "P. Money", "The Birdman", or just plain Pat, he brought joy to every single person he met. He brought joy to so many people and shared so many memories that it would be impossible to list them all. He loved life, and he could make anything fun, even Latin homework I was sitting around the other night, thinking about why God would do such a thing. Why Patrick, why so young? Sixteen years doesn't seem like a long life. Then I realized what a great life Patrick had, even if it was only sixteen years. And oh boy, did he live those sixteen years. I never could figure out how Pat fit it all in: friends, family, sports, school, volunteer work; it seemed like Pat could do it all! No one knows why God took Patrick so young, but we have to have faith that everything revolves around when God wants to take each of us home. I will certainly miss him, but I know he's in a better place now.

There are so many things that I will miss about Pat. His ugly clothes, his humorous insights, his pranks, his good heart, his suggestions, his "Harlem Shake", his crazy stunts, everything. Patrick gave me and everyone that he met so much. So thank you for everything, Pat. Thanks for all the memories. Thanks for the nightly homework calls, the Dance Dance Revolution matches, the cupcake fights, the Ping-Pong tournaments, those infamous bus rides home, breaking my couch, sucking up to my mom, those Blue Barn basketball games, stealing the controllers, "Slamball" on my trampoline, deleting my buddy list, Ultimate Frisbee, snowball fights, and the Honky Tonk concert. Thanks for the good times, the bad times, and those times that I didn't know what to do with you. Thanks for all that you taught me through your life and death. I love you, man.

Although Pat's death was a horrible tragedy, it really taught me a lot about life. Patrick seemed to have a good idea of how to live life. He had a certain combination of hard work and fun that kept him happy all the time. He, like everyone, wanted to make things better, but Pat actually did.

I had the honor of being a pallbearer at Patrick's funeral. I never imagined in my wildest dreams that I would have to bury my friend so young. Carrying him to his burial site was one of the hardest things I have ever done.

It's hard to see anything good that came from Patrick's death. However, it did strengthen my relationships with my friends and family, and taught me to treasure every person I know. This tragedy was one of those things that you think can never happen to you. Please take my advice, and treasure every moment with your friends and family.

Two days before he passed away, Patrick got off at my bus stop for a doctor's appointment. The bus had come a little early, and my mom asked Patrick to come in the car to wait for his ride. Pat greeted her, thanked her, and hopped into the back seat. My grandmother was sitting in the front seat, and Patrick introduced himself and talked to her for a little while. In our usual way, Pat and I were goofing around; using my little sister's "Fourth Grade Brain Quest" flash cards, and purposely giving the wrong answers.

The next day, my grandmother told my family how impressed she was with Patrick, and what a nice person she thought he was. She also said that she hoped that Patrick and I would remain good friends. And Grandmom, we always will.