We all need to realize that it’s never too late to live. It’s never too late for second chances.
I grew up in a Christian household, and I had an amazing childhood. I was sheltered and kept away from the terrors of this world. It was both a blessing and a curse. My parents raised me in the best way possible, and as a young, growing boy, I was a leader. But as I got older, I unfortunately became a follower.
I played tennis in high school with dreams and aspirations of going professional. Those dreams fell through after graduation, and since I didn’t know what I wanted to do career-wise, I joined the United States Marine Corps. I wanted to make my family proud as well as myself.
I was stationed at Camp Pendleton, made it through basic training and schooling, and was already in the fleet. I started hanging out with the wrong crowd, and someone ended up losing their life in a tragic situation. Now here I am, sitting in prison under the felony murder law. I didn’t know who I was at such a young age, but as I get older, I am growing into the man God created me to be.
I have met the love of my life. I have the most amazing mother, who is actually the creator of the Felony Murder Elimination Project and one of the founders of SB 1437, a California Senate Bill that significantly changed the state’s felony murder rule.
For the longest time, I tried to drown my pain and sorrow with drugs and alcohol, but my Lord and Savior has freed me from this pain. Now, I am becoming the man God destined me to be. We all need to realize that it’s never too late to live. It’s never too late for second chances. There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t regret what happened on that tragic day and the lives that were destroyed because of poor choices. God is good, and every day I try to live a full, positive, and productive life, one that honors God and brings healing and restoration to the victims, their families, and my own.
I’d like to share an experience I had at Disneyland with my mom. At the time, she had breast cancer and was undergoing radiation and chemotherapy. She was losing her hair. We all shaved our heads, my uncle John, myself, and my mom. For a woman, losing her hair and eyelashes is tragic and terrifying. I can only imagine. To support her, we all shaved our heads.
That day at Disneyland, I saw her freezing while we were on the back of a golf cart leaving the resort. She was shivering against me, and I could feel her skin, ice cold against mine. I put my jacket over her head and kissed her neck. I could feel her happiness. I could feel the essence of her. That mother-and-son love we’ve always shared. I’ve always been able to comfort her, and she’s always been able to comfort me. I’m so blessed to have her and that experience to be able to wrap my jacket around her and bring her warmth, healing, and the reassurance that everything was going to be okay.
My mother is a fighter, the strongest woman I’ve ever met in my life. She’s my role model, my everything. And my wife is just like her. They are amazing, incredible, and my two favorite women.
