So I wanted to drop you a quick note to tell you that you are loved by so many people. That you are an amazing person and mean something in this world. And if you are doubting that, or ever doubt it in the future, please let’s talk.

I just attended the funeral of a very special young man named Joey Finamore. He was 23 years old. He killed himself by a heroin overdose. He was such a smart young man, always with a smile on his face. Always ready to make you laugh and give you a hug. I met Joey for the first time when he was about 12 years old. He started working at a haunted house with us as an actor. Then I didn’t see him for a few years until he came to work with us again at Forsaken, and he became a staple of forsaken. He was known as our pet dog, he would wait at the end of quarantine and chase people out on all fours barking like a dog. He loved every minute of it.

I don’t know in the end why he really took his life. I don’t know if anyone really does. He was a complicated kid who didn’t really know how to own his own uniqueness, and I also wonder if his family didn’t accept him for who he truly was. When his best friend passed two years ago, he was devestated. And it was a slippery slope since then.

My heart breaks for his friends who were our staff at the haunt. It was not an easy funeral to attend. My heart breaks for his family, especially his mom. As I stood there and watched I thought of you and how I wouldn’t be able to handle this happening to you. How afraid I became in the moment worrying about you.

I don’t want to take this blog down a dark path, but in this moment I need to sit here and tell you how much I love you. How much your father loves you. How much your grandmothers love you. You are loved. You are wanted. You are our world and matter to us and to so many more. Please always remember that. I love you.