Live like you are dying. These five words have been the subject of countless songs, movies, plays and books for quite some time now. I’ve always claimed to be a firm believer in that cliché of a philosophy, but it wasn’t until recently that I realized how much I had been neglecting it.
Last night, my hometown of Perryton, TX was completely devastated when we learned about the death of eighteen year-old senior, Willy Lopez. Willy was diagnosed with a brain tumor in March of this year. In a town like Perryton, where news and gossip spread like wildfire, this particular story moved the citizens of Ochiltree County to unite quicker than anyone would have ever imagined.
At a time when the biggest worry in your life should be what you are wearing to prom or where you will be going to college the next year, Willy found himself fighting for his life, something that no resident of Perryton had even expected.
Seeing as Perryton’s population doesn’t even reach eight thousand, everyone knew him either directly or indirectly. Willy was an athlete. He was the starting receiver on the varsity football team and a huge asset to our track team. He also worked as head lifeguard at the local pool and had a sense of humor paired with a smile that could brighten up your day. I didn’t know Willy as well as I would have liked, and I will always regret not getting to know him better. The most amazing thing about Willy, though, was what a fighter he was. Willy had never had the best life, but his eventual adoption by his aunt, Kimberley Lopez, and her husband, Florentino, was a turning point in his life. Things began to look up for Willy and he was even baptized weeks before his brain tumor was diagnosed. The Perryton community fully believed that Willy would pull through and make a full recovery. He was a fighter. He always had been and a brain tumor wasn’t going to change that. I know for a fact that most of them believed in his recovery up until the moment the news broke that he had died.
The fact that Willy didn’t make it is quite possibly the most disturbing thing to happen to Perryton, TX in about five years. The impact that this young man has had on the community of Perryton is amazing. In the song “Three Wooden Crosses,” Randy Travis sings, “It’s not what you take when you leave this world behind you, It’s what you leave behind you when you go.” Willy has changed the lives of many people, including myself. Though we were merely acquaintances, I have always admired Willy’s strength. I can’t begin to imagine the impact he has had on those who were close to him.
After receiving the news last night and releasing most of the tears I had in my body, I eventually had to call it a night because I couldn’t handle the emotions that I was feeling. It wasn’t until this morning when my alarm went off and I didn’t want to get out of bed, that I realized how small my worries are. I am the kind of person who tends to blow things way out of proportion and take things for granted. The fact that I am able to open my eyes in the morning has now become a blessing, and I am so grateful for everything that I have in this life. It is sad to see such a young soul leave us like he did, but he will become immortal through the impressions he has left on those, like myself, who admire him. Though I will never be able to tell Willy how much he affected the citizens of Perryton and me personally, I like to think that he already knows.
