Alexander Reynolds 

     Alex was a happy and healthy kid. He was rambunctious and loved adventure. Alex called me “Mombo”, and he was my “Babo”. Alex always wanted to be outside and played sports. He enjoyed soccer and tee ball. As Alex got older, his interests switched to video games and computers. He was always taking things apart to see how they worked. If there was ever a broken appliance or electronic around- Alex was swiftly dismantling it. 

     Alex loved both of his grandpas, whom gladly filled a fatherly roll for him. Whether they were going fishing, or riding the “tractor” to cut grass, Alex wanted to spend all his time with them. 

     Every birthday growing up, was spent in Tennessee. I made him several variations of a Thomas the train cake over the years. We would decorate the cabin and lay out presents while he slept, Alex was always so excited when he woke to see everything. I could not deny him cake for breakfast, every single year. 

     Alex also loved rocks. Really all things geology. Anytime he saw a geode he had to have it. Alex loved being involved in cracking them open to see what types of crystals they had inside. From the time Alex was a kid he was always looking for interesting or beautiful stones. 

     Alex really enjoyed spending time with his family. Hanging out on weekends with cousins at his grandparents house, going on vacation with his grandmother, aunts, and myself, or playing video games with Pah Pah, were always a favorite. His uncle started taking Alex gaming once weekly with him, and after Alex came home he would be so jazzed up to tell us all about the game. When we went to the beach, he would be on the hunt for shells or digging up sand crabs. He loved showing everyone how many he could find. 

     When Alex became a teen, he found his love for computers. He started with an iPad, but moved to laptops. He loved gaming and had to have the best computer with the most advanced graphics card on it. He went through several laptops, thank goodness for warranties. 

     Alex’s favorite color is purple. When we moved back home after he graduated, we painted his room purple and picked out a purple bedding set. Alex was so generous with what he had. He’d  give you the shirt off his back and anything you needed help with- Alex was quick to lend a hand. 

     Alex had a quick and clever wit that led to some of the best one liners I’ve ever heard. Alex was one of the funniest people I’ll ever meet. He had such an awesome personality that I was always asking him to go places with me or to help me with projects, anything to spend some time with him. But kids that age aren’t into hanging out with their parents. 

     When Alex was 14 he was able to spend 3 weeks in France, Italy, and Greece. He went through a student ambassador program called People to People. With a little help from my parents, I spent my entire savings making sure he could go. I was so nervous sending him out into the world like that, but it was the opportunity of a lifetime. He had so many pictures to show me, the Eiffle Tower, the canals in Venice, the view from Pompeii, he had such a wonderful time (even if he almost got sent home for carving his initials somewhere in the Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi). 

     Early into his trip he called me to ask if I could send him more money, when I asked why he was out of money he told me he spent it all on my present. He wouldn’t tell me what it was because he wanted it to be a surprise but how could I say no at that point? I quickly went to Travelex and reloaded his card with Euros. After he got home and I checked the balance I found that he did not spend all the Euros I had reloaded for him, Alex was frugal like that. I was completely blown away when he gave me my surprise which was the most beautiful handmade Murano Glass vase. I was so touched that he wanted to spend all his walking money on a single present for me, not even knowing if I would or could send him more. I will treasure it for the rest of my life. 

     Alex got a partial scholarship to University of Cincinnati in Computer Science when he graduated high school, but after a year Alex decided that wasn’t the direction he wanted to go in. So he took a year off to be young and decide what route would be best for him. 

Then Covid hit. 

     The year Alex was supposed to take off then turned into two more until the vaccines came out and it was safe to return to the world. 

     Alex then made the decision to go to Butler Tech for their Maintenance Technician program, which he excelled at. Alex was so incredibly smart. He was once again taking things apart, but now understanding how they worked, putting them back to together and watching them run. Alex enjoyed the challenge of learning and loved meeting new friends. Alex would often tell us about lunch breaks and going to the bar close by with his friends from school- not to drink- but just to grab a sandwich and play pool. 

     After graduation, Alex seemed happy with life. He never wanted or needed anything flashy. Alex was content with what he had and didn’t need or want anything new when asked. Alex was applying for jobs and became a homebody. He stayed close but would go to his other grandparents house to spend time with them and help with things they needed done. Alex always wanted to make sure his grandpas were taken care of. 

Everyone thought he was fine.

     March 5, 2024, will forever be, the worst day of my life. A day that should have been so normal and happy will always be burned into my brain. No mother should ever have to lose a child this way. Alex should be making the arrangements for me when we’re older, not the other way around. In just a split second so many lives were shattered and will never be the same. 

     There’s such a profound loss when someone you love more than anything in the world dies so senselessly. Truly, part of you also dies with them. 

     Being left to try to piece things together is hard. It’s hard when you find out how long they had been feeling this way. It’s hard when you find out how long they had been planning this. It’s incredibly hard to not constantly blame yourself, or go through the “what if’s” or “why’s” on every single possible scenario you can come up with every single minute of the day.  The tremendous amount of guilt I feel is overwhelming. 

     If you are able to donate in Alex’s name, please, I urge you to. Any amount helps. I will be forever grateful. Please check on your kids, siblings, parents, family and friends. Especially the ones who seem fine.   Even the simplest- “How are you really doing?”, could mean the world to someone who is struggling. Just because you don’t see it, doesn’t mean they aren’t feeling it.

     If telling Alex’s story can prevent one life from being lost, and another parent from experiencing this horrible, utterly soul crushing grief… then it was worth it. 

Wish You Were Here

-Pink Floyd