Thank you for your condolsences for my cousin Matthew. He was a wonderful person and had his whole life in front of him.  Your son Taylor was a very handsome young man and it was terrible to read what had happen to him. I just wanted to let you know you are in my thoughts & prayers. May God be w/ you & keep helping you through this.

Rest your hearts knowing that he is with God and together they are watching over you on this special day.  God Blesse Everyone!

As I sit here in tears, thinking back on how excited and proud we were going to be about Taylor graduating, all I have now are questions about what really happened the day he drowned.  None of the pieces fit and I can't get rid or the gnawing feeling that something is not right.  Taylor didn't have to die, he shouldn't have been left in the still cool waters of the Blue Ridge Reservoir to die. There are no excuses for what happened to him. Taylor's death was unwarranted, and everybody knows it. I somehow can't help feeling that no one WANTED to help him. That he didn't die on accident, but rather at the unkind hands of someone with a devilish soul.

Poor Brooke, who has had to try to flourish and rise above Taylor's perfect record is so sad and so very much alone today because not one single friend has bothered to call her, hug her or tell her that they are proud of her and that they are thinking about her and her brother Taylor. How cruel and unfeeling must the kids of today's generation be that they refuse to acknowledge a friend's most difficult moment.  That a parent wouldn't take 30 seconds out of their day to remind their child that perhaps, Brooke, who has always been there for everybody else, might possibly need a little support for once, because today of all days, is a huge reminder of everything she and her family has lost.

But being Brooke, ever the strong silent one when it comes to her true emotions, will instead, keep her head up and pretend that everything is fine and dandy, when in reality her heart is bleeding as much as her parent's.  Can you imagine, going from a family where you have a sibling to being an only child? She not only lost her brother, but she lost the family her grew up in because the family dynamics have changed so much, that what she once knew as her family, no longer exists. It's been much harder for her than anyone realizes because she would never even THINK of troubling another person with her own grief. Like Taylor, Brooke has always been the kind of person to put others before self.

What people don't seem to get, is that just because time slides through the hourglass of life, the lives of the families left behind from the sudden death of a promising teen are held in suspension. We are all teetering between llife and death. Life because we want to live, but death because we so desperately want to rejoin our lost family member.

We smile even though our hearts are swelled with tears, no matter how happy and proud we are of our brave Brookie, there is the constant torment that she is ALONE in this - she is missing something - things are NOT okay for her today. She feels it very deeply that her brother is not there to join in the festivities and to tell her how proud he is of her.

So if you happen to fall upon this site today, please send out a prayer of strength for Brooke, because she is going to need it.

I'm still trying to cope day to day and I don't know how to go on.

My husband is leaving me because I'm still grieving. He said he needs to get on with his life and can't do it around me.

He hasn't received any help from counseling and doesn't have the family support that I do. He comes from a family that doesn't communicate and he doesn't himself.

My beautiful daughter was 25 and sounds so much like your son. Everybody loved her. It was like a light went on in a room when she walked in.

She died in an auto accident with her boyfriend who she was marrying. We lost her and him. I have 2 sons ages 24 & 22.

How do you go on?

It's been 8 months.

Thank you. Lorrie Farrell

SUCH A HEART WARMING SITE.

MY STORY IS A SAD AND LONG ONE NUT I DNT MENTION IT
ON MY SONS SITE..

I WAS VERY CLOSE TO MY SON, IN O3 CAME THE NEWS THAT WOULD
CHANGE MY LIFE 4 EVER.

BUT I MUST SAY I LIVE IN MICHIGAN, AND AFTER MANY YEARS
OF ABUSE ON MYSELF AND MY SON I LEFT.

BUT THE MAN REAPEARED, WHEN MY SON WAS PASSING HE NEW MY SONS WIFE HATED ME WHY THE BOND WE HAD. SO THEY THREW A PPO ON ME AND KEPT HIM FROM ME IN HIS LAST DAYS I WAS THE ONLY ONE THERE HELPING I LOST EVERYTHING MY JOB MY SON MY GRANDKIDS.

VERY LONG STORY BUT I CAN TELL YA 2 YEARS LATER I AM A MESS.

I CAN NOT BARE THE LOSS AND NO ONE CARES I DO ATTEND
COMMASSIONATE FRIENDS.

BUT MY HEALTH IS GONNA AND EVERYTHING IS SO HARD.

DOES IT GET ANY BETTER. SORRY FOR RUNNING MY MOUTH SO MUCH..

IAM JUST LOOKING FOR ANSWERS.

I CAN BARLEY FUNTION .. THANKS FOR LISTENNING

GOD BLESS

To Taylors Dear family...I send Much Love & Strength For All Your Days.....Our Loss Is So Very Similiar...I Cannot Believe We have'nt met Here on Memory of.My Heart Goes Out To You All....Much Love,Shelly xo

It would seem fitting for me to go out and place flowers at your grave, or buy an ad in the obituary in remembrace of you for your 20th birthday. However, your family has written ME the most lovely letter ever. Usually it's me trying to find the lastest gadget for you Taylor, but this year you gave to me. Once again, you are sharing your gift of love. Thank my sweet son, I miss you ever so much.

Love,

Mom

Here is the gift Taylor made sure we received and it is the best gift I've ever gotten -- even though it's technically Taylor's birthday.

Dear Guy, Lori and Brooke,

Another year passes and still the heartache for your loss and our family's loss is still so painful it doesn't seem possible. Taylor....when I say his name is seems so unbelievable. We want you to know how much we miss him. We miss his humor, his shaggy hair, his gentleness, his appetite, his goofy faces he made when he played with his cousins, his deeply expressive eyes that would pierce you when he was serious, his crazy Halloween costumes, WWF, sledding, birthday parties and his spirit of life.  I see him so clearly and yet I know he's gone.  I don't know why, I'll never understand.

I want you to know that we loved him like our own. I think you did such a great job with Taylor. He was truly and angel on earth.  Our hearts and lives will always be broken because he will not be with us, but his essence and spirit will. I know he would want you to stay strong and stay hopeful in the knowledge that someday you will be together again.  I truly believe this. All of you have shown such great strength and you are admired by all of us.  He will never be far from our thoughts and our prayers. We loved Taylor just as much as we love each of you. Stay strong and hang on to your faith.

With love and respect,

Aunt Denise, Uncle Bob, Ryan, Brittany, and Austin                  

Aunt Becky, Uncle Jeff, Sara and James                                       

Aunt Sharon and Celene                                                      

Grampa

This is what family is all about. We had a very close family didn't we Taylor?  And you are making sure that even though you are not here Tay, you are still reaching out and guiding all of us to be better people. I

 was blessed to have you as my son as I am blessed to have a family I can go to in times of trouble. Thank you for this gift on your birthday. That is so like you Taylor, to think of others before yourself. Thank you for that. I miss and love you dearly son.

Love,

Mom

I happened upon your memorial website today.  Today of all days, Taylor's three year date.   I read with tears Taylor's story and feel your pain and understand your "normal".  My husband and I lost our only child, Adam Carter, March 25, 2008 due to an automobile accident.  Adam was sixteen years old and driving to school.  Adam and Taylor sound very similar - all the way down to the thick curly hair that I would also tease Adam asking when he would get a haircut!

I am praying for you today, that you find the comfort and strength of God to get you thru this day.  Since it has been such a short time for me, I haven't had to deal with anniversaries, birthdays, holidays (July 4th didnt' count for me).  We did, however have to deal with Mother's Day and Father's Day and my husband's birthday since Adam's death.  I know we have much to deal with in the coming months and years. 

You are so right, no one but another parent who has lost their child truly understands.  They try to offer sympathy and comfort, but their children are with them, their life has continued.  Our lives, however, have stopped. 

I can't tell you how much your sentence meant to me which stated that Taylor would have changed the world, but instead he changed you.  That is it - that is exactly how I feel.  Everyone has told us (but we knew all along) that Adam was going to do something to change the world, to make a difference, to invent something to help others, something.  I know he made a difference in people's lives, I know there are many who are forever changed because of their friendship with Adam.  His father and I, like all those who have lost children are different people.  Always just under the surface of our skin, we feel it at any moment the dam will break and you must go with your feelings.

Please know I am thinking of your family and of Taylor.  Maybe our boys are together in Heaven smiling down on both of their mothers and fathers.

I hope you read this message, please feel free to email me.

May peace be with you.  -- Terrie Carter

as july roles around i can only try and prepare myself for the emotional roller coaster i put myself through. the first year was more difficult than i could have ever imagined. the second year seemed to be easier. this year i feel a struggle again. you think you've coped, when really you havent...

what keeps my smiling is the silliest item; for taylors birthday we met at his plaque. we had cupcakes and released balloons, me and  jackie made him a CD and everyong told stories. for some reason i kept the candle from the cupcake (lol). for some reason it represented that little light of faith in the dark that keeps you moving forward. & whe i'm having the hardest days i light the candle, not for long, but long enough for me to know that i can't just give up.

taylors given me so many reasons to be happy. so many reasons to have faith. so many reasons to trust. so many reasons to forgive. taylor has given me a reason to live life with a better meaning and purpose. and for that reason, i will always be in his debt.

happy fourth of july taylor! this was the day i met you, and a day that remains embedded in my heart. your a sweet sweet soul that has done so much for so many people. i only wish i could touch the amount of lives you have....

<3

It would seem fitting for me to go out and place flowers at your grave, or buy an ad in the obituary in remembrace of you for your 20th birthday. However, your family has written ME the most lovely letter ever. Usually it's me trying to find the lastest gadget for you Taylor, but this year you gave to me. Once again, you are sharing your gift of love. Thank my sweet son, I miss you ever so much.

Love,

Mom

Here is the gift Taylor made sure we received and it is the best gift I've ever gotten -- even though it's technically Taylor's birthday.

Dear Guy, Lori and Brooke,

Another year passes and still the heartache for your loss and our family's loss is still so painful it doesn't seem possible. Taylor....when I say his name is seems so unbelievable. We want you to know how much we miss him. We miss his humor, his shaggy hair, his gentleness, his appetite, his goofy faces he made when he played with his cousins, his deeply expressive eyes that would pierce you when he was serious, his crazy Halloween costumes, WWF, sledding, birthday parties and his spirit of life.  I see him so clearly and yet I know he's gone.  I don't know why, I'll never understand.

I want you to know that we loved him like our own. I think you did such a great job with Taylor. He was truly and angel on earth.  Our hearts and lives will always be broken because he will not be with us, but his essence and spirit will. I know he would want you to stay strong and stay hopeful in the knowledge that someday you will be together again.  I truly believe this. All of you have shown such great strength and you are admired by all of us.  He will never be far from our thoughts and our prayers. We loved Taylor just as much as we love each of you. Stay strong and hang on to your faith.

With love and respect,

Aunt Denise, Uncle Bob, Ryan, Brittany, and Austin                  

Aunt Becky, Uncle Jeff, Sara and James                                       

Aunt Sharon and Celene                                                      

Grampa

This is what family is all about. We had a very close family didn't we Taylor?  And you are making sure that even though you are not here Tay, you are still reaching out and guiding all of us to be better people.

I was blessed to have you as my son as I am blessed to have a family I can go to in times of trouble. Thank you for this gift on your birthday. That is so like you Taylor, to think of others before yourself. Thank you for that. I miss and love you dearly son.

Love,

Mom

Dear Mr. and Mrs.Burgstahler
My name is Celeste Garcia.I am 12 years old
and I am in the 7th grade.I love to play
sports like football,basketball,mountain
biking and many more.And I am  from Phoenix
Arizona.
I am writing to thank you for donating 5 scholarhips 
basketball camp to the south moutain ymca in south pheonix.
It is most appreciated.Also,i am very sorry for your lost.
and I will never  forget your son even though I have
never met him. Well thank you for taking time to read
my letter and have a great day.

SINCERELY,
Celeste Garcia







 

It has been two years and the memory of Taylor still lives on for me; his humor, kindness, and overall his friendship.  To this day I still think about him and will never forget how amazing he was and how he had such a profound impact on so many peoples lives.
Never Forget
Always Love
Taylor Burgstahler

Dear Lori, Brooke, Pops

I came across this site by chance and was moved by it beyond words. I laughed out loud reading the stories, the Stop sign, the "concoctions", the cat costume.. 

Taylor has cheered me up in a bad night. 

I also cried and I was very moved reading how you Lori talked to your kids at night as it made me remember when I slept with my older sister and dad and he made up stories about a king and two princesses. 

I cried remembering my grandma who passed away, with whom I was not so close and how much wisdom she had to share that I will never hear...I was not mature enough to understand her.

I hope you find comfort knowing that the day will come that you are together with him in a place of endless love where nothing bad can happen, and everybody that knew Taylor will be with you too, and everybody that didn't have the fortune but was touched by his love and the love surrounding him (like me) will be there too, and we will all be smiling together at least in God's glory... I DO believe in that day, this thought keeps me going when I miss someone very dearly. 

Brooke, I am young too, I wish you strength and I send you a big hug. Thank you for sharing Taylor. I was deeply moved by him being protective of you, just remember that he is still watching out for you from above the sky, loving you infinitely and wishing you happiness, all the joy in the world and a long, meaningful life. 

I hope I could do more...you are all in my daily thoughts.  

Love
Sandra, Mexico
 

Hii. you don't know me. and i don't know you.
but i've been reading your sons memorial site for hours now..
and i honestly havent cried so much in my life.
all the sadness people have poured out of their hearts about him.
all the stories you wrote about him.
i promise you, i would of liked to of met him.
he sounds amazing.
and i'm sure he would of been proud to have a mother like you.
the way you talk about him.. just warms your heart up.
i have no idea how bad you've felt about everything.
i know you couldn't even begin to explain..
ugh. i don't even know what i'm saying.
its just touched me in more ways than possible.
as the tears are streaming down my face, i can't seem to think how you felt.
how people that knew him felt.
this is affecting me so badly.
and thats not a plea for attention.
its to let you know, there's people out there that have your son in their prayers.
and your family in their prayers. 

its to let you know, that thinking about your son has given me hope that their are people out there like him, they'd never be the same, but they're was a boy so amazing placed on this earth.. 

but he didn't belong here.. he was pratically a angel sent from heaven to bless everyone around him.
 
its to let you know, i'll never forget about this, for the rest of my life, i swear to you. 
i'll be telling people about the boy who had a bigger heart then anyone. 
about the boy who i never even had a chance to talk to. to meet. to see for myself, but even though i never did, he's touched me more then anyone ever has. 

but i'm just some 15 year old from Australia.
and i'm not going to do much help. 

i can say i love him. 

i know love is a big word. 

but just hearing about him, seeing things people who cared about him most have wrote, made me fall inlove with his memory.
and well, you. 
you have to be the greatest mum in the entire world.
you're amazing. 

maybe you could reply? if you have time. i'd like to know how youre coping.

love from, the girl who loves but never knew.. xxxx.

As my children were being baptized on Sunday I thought of your son Taylor. What I most thought of was St.Christopher. I am not sure if you are catholic but the mesage is very fitting to your son. The roman catholic view of St. Christopher is as said. He was a very tall and physcial Roman man, originaly named Reprobus, who was referred to as a giant by those who knew him, and vowed to serve Jesus and became a christian. Other sources say his name was Offero, and that he was born in Canaan. He sought out a christian hermit to inquire as to how he could better serve Jesus. The hermit directed him to a path with a dangerous  crossing point at a swift river, and suggested that the mans great size and strength made him a good canidate to assist people in crossing the river on his back. One day, a small child approached the river and asked to be carried across. Reprobus began to comply, only to discover that the small boy was far heavier than any other passenger he had taken. The child revealed that he was in fact Jesus Christ, and that his unusual weight was due to the fact that he bore the sins of the world. As you can see Taylor was born to do great things whether it is in our world or with god.Your son his very befitting of St. Christoher. He was in our prayers at church on Sunday and will be forever.

May God Always Bless You and Your Family
The Klawitters
Ocala Florida