A Court By Any Other Name

Connor joined the Phi Delta Theta fraternity and LOVED It!  He loved being part of a brotherhood.  They held a candlelight service for him right after he passed and I was overwhelmed with gratitude for how much they loved Connor.  The stories they would tell about how he always made everyone feel welcome, how you felt like you’d known him for years after just meeting him and his relentless ideas and passion for starting a business.  I have no doubt there were other stories no mom wants to hear, but I knew their love for him was palpable. 

Our family wanted to give back to the fraternity so that his name could live on forever, but in a meaningful and practical way.  We had a basketball court installed with the inscription “In Loving Memory of Connor Lynch”.    The fraternity hosted a dedication and ribbon cutting.  Several brothers spoke about Connor and what his legacy means for the chapter.  I got up and spoke about how we will always be here to support the fraternity, but more importantly about how taking just five seconds can save a life.  I encouraged the boys to always take the extra five seconds to make sure no scooters or skateboards or bikers or pedestrians are nearby when they are driving. 

We took a family photo and no sooner was that done was the court FULL of boys playing basketball.  You could feel the excitement to have a place for fun, exercise (which Connor was passionate about) and comradery.  All things Connor would be so excited for! ∞