Andrew’s Life Story

 

“Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.”

 

“We didn’t realize we were making memories; we just knew we were having fun.”  Anonymous

 

 

For Andrew, those moments would boil down to twenty-seven years, seven months, and fourteen days.  He graced this earth for 10, 088 days, or roughly 14,526,225 minutes.  Although Andrew was unexpectedly taken from us too soon, it is the moments of his life that we want to remember and cherish. 

 

 

The Child

No person can possibly know what life means

What the world means,

What anything means,

Until they have a child and love it.

And then the whole universe changes,

And nothing will ever again seem exactly as it seemed before.

--Dee Thompson

 

 

Parents have about nine months to prepare for the birth of their new child.  While it often seems like a lifetime of waiting, before you know it, it's time.  Well that time came on August 17th, 1988 at 6:00 p.m.  We went to tour the labor rooms at the hospital as this is what you did on your last Lamaze Class.  As we were touring the rooms, my water broke!  I quickly said, “I will take this room,” because it was decorated in lavender colors, which are my favorite.

 

My husband ran back to our house and picked up our packed bags and scurried back to the hospital.  We ordered pizza and took a long nap; now it was time to play the hurry up and wait game.  Around 3:30 a.m., my contractions started, and just like that Andrew Nicholas Miller was born on August 18th, 1988 at 8:15 a.m.  We tried to convince the nurse to note the time of birth as 8:18 on 8/18, but she wouldn’t budge.  In the long run, we didn’t care.  We were too in love with our handsome new baby.  Parents tend to by biased about the beauty of their children, but even the nursing staff thought Andrew was a good-looking baby.  They asked if they could take pictures of Andrew while they were bathing him so that they could put them in a book that was to be published for new expectant parents.  This new book was to help parents with questions they might have when they bring their new bundle of joy home.  Remember, there was no internet then, and yet somehow we as parents survived.  The birth of a baby, the first time you hold them, being a new parent, and all the joys that come with it; these are the moments that truly take your breath away; the moments no parent can forget.

 

 

 

 

Time passes quickly when you are chasing around your first born, and before you know it, he is a toddler.  For Andrew’s third Birthday we gave him his first bicycle, complete with training wheels and a new helmet.  Andrew loved his bike.  Once he figured out how to make the pedals work, he rode up and down the sidewalk in front of our house, and he was continually making siren noises.  Even at a young age, Andrew was off to the rescue, in love with the thought of being a firefighter already.  While some may have thought this incessant noise was endearing, others in the neighborhood were a bit annoyed.  One neighbor in particular was trying to get her own little ones down for a nap and asked if Andrew could quiet down, a request we never really did accommodate.  You just can’t quiet a firefighter in the making….  Who would have thought he would become a firefighter?!

 

“Just tell me one boy, just one who at seven didn’t aspire to be a hero or a firefighter”-Miguel Delibes.

 

 

“Sometimes being a brother is even better than being a superhero.”  Marc Brown

 

 

Andrew’s brother, Trevor, would join our little family in 1991.  Andrew was so proud to be a big brother!  Andrew pretty much became his brother’s keeper.  Trevor was everything to Andrew and he wouldn’t let anybody hold his little brother without getting his permission first.  Throughout his life, Andrew would be a wonderful role model, sometimes act as the superhero, and always be an awesome big brother to Trevor.

 

As the boys continued to grow and explore their world, The Miller house became the neighborhood play area.  We always had snacks on hand for the neighborhood kiddos.  One day, we doled out Popsicles for the kids to eat.  When they were finished I asked all of the kids to take the sticks and put them in the garbage that was in the backyard.  Andrew had finished his Popsicle first, and he did as I asked.  The only problem was that he was back in the front yard so quickly, I began to doubt that he had actually thrown his sticks in the garbage; he assured me that he did.  I finally asked him, “Andrew, if I go check, am I going to see your stick in the garbage?”  He replied, “Are you going to look under the deck?”  Boy, you gotta love the innocence of children.  Hard to be mad when they are so cute. 

 

Andrew was not only cute, he was compassionate and caring.  Andrew was always aware of his surroundings and seemed to know when people were in need of help.  It was never surprising to see him helping others in our neighborhood.  Lending a helping hand at a young age…Who would have thought he would become a firefighter!

 

Andrew was also very insightful and at a young age he would sit down with anyone and carry on a very adult conversation.  Andrew didn't care who the adult was, or what the topic of conversation was.  He truly understood money and the importance of saving, even at the young age of four. He once had a conversation with a young couple who had just moved into the neighborhood when he explained to them the importance of not overspending.  During the conversation, Andrew revealed what we had paid for our house and the young neighbor didn’t quite know what to think of this information, so she walked down to our house to let us know what type of information Andrew was revealing to the neighbors.  Open, honest, mature, and wise beyond his years….Who would have thought he would become a firefighter?!

 

When Andrew was five he would randomly start overheating, spike a fever, and that would in turn produce a migraine headache.  This happened weekly throughout his summers and periodically throughout the years.  We tried everything, but he would still overheat.  Doctors ran numerous tests, yet we never did figure out what caused him to overheat.  As Andrew got older, the overheating slowly subsided, and by the time he graduated high school, the episodes rarely happened to him.  Thank goodness because….Who would have thought he would become a firefighter?!

 

“Knowledge will bring you the opportunity to make a difference.”-Claire Fagen

 

As our kids grow, and learn, and explore, the time comes when we turn their little minds over to a whole new world of learning.  We prepare them for school.  Because Andrew’s birthday was in August, he was a bubble baby.  Old enough to start school, but not necessarily ready.  We all thought Andrew was ready, and so we had him tested.  He did great, and so Andrew was able to start Kindergarten at a younger age.  Andrew excelled so fast that at the end of Kindergarten it was suggested that he skip first grade.  We decided to decline their recommendation because Andrew was already a year younger than most of his peers. 

 

When Andrew was in the second grade Ms. Smesrud, his teacher, asked me what she could do to keep him from getting bored.  Together, she and I went to the public library and found materials for Andrew to work on during the school day.  It is amazing when teachers go above and beyond what is expected.  Thank-you Ms. Smesrud for being so awesome and for going the extra mile to keep Andrew engaged, and excited to learn. 

 

In fourth grade Andrew was fortunate enough to have Mrs. Klingler.  What an awesome grade school teacher.  Mrs. Klingler kept Andrew busy as well, and that was no small feat.  Andrew had a group of friends in grade school, who after all these years, are still close friends.  All of these boys were in the same class, with Mrs. Klingler.  She kept these boys busy, and more importantly, OUT OF TROUBLE.  Good thing because…Who would have thought he would become a firefighter?!

 

As a middle school kid, Andrew didn’t really like to do chores.  He would sort of do them, but they were not done very well, or only half way.  So one day while we were on our way to school, I pulled the truck over when we were about half way to his school.  He asked me what I was doing?  I told him it was time for him to get out and walk the rest of the way to school.  I explained that if he was only going to do his chores half way, then half the way to school was all I was going to drive him.  Sometimes it is the simple lessons that make us who we are. 

 

As a young boy, Andrew was a Boy Scout and he began as a Tiger Cub.  Andrew actively participated in scouts until about his sophomore year in high school. This is quite the feat, as so many kids drop out of scouts as they get older because they have other activities and obligations to attend to.  I am thankful that Andrew had so many quality adults in his life to continue to push him and encourage him to finish his scouting endeavors. Thanks to Mike and Michelle Madonna, Bill and Sue Hanson, and Jim and Sue McIntyre, we all persuaded Andrew to work hard, and finally, three days prior to his 18th birthday, Andrew obtained the rank of Eagle Scout.  I am pretty sure he procrastinated just to watch all of us sweat….Who would have thought he would become a firefighter?!

 

Andrew attend John R. Rogers High School and while he was there he was the school mascot for two of those years. Andrew LOVED being the mascot because it allowed him to act out his comical side, and to make people smile. Andrew really loved to make people laugh and smile, and he took a lot of pride in his ability to make others laugh, especially when there were seriously down. 

 

If that wasn't enough, Andrew also joined the ROTC program at Rogers High School.  Andrew enjoyed being in the ROTC program; it taught him discipline, dedication, and that if you work hard, that hard work does pay off…..Who would have thought he would become a firefighter?!

 

 

“It is not what you do for your children, but what you have taught them to do for themselves, that will make them successful human beings”—Ann Landers

 

 

Andrew played tennis for John R. Rogers High School to have an extra-curricular activity on his college application.  He really enjoyed playing Tennis.  He quickly excelled to the Varsity Team. 

 

As Andrew grew older, it was more difficult to spend as much time with him as I would have liked.  He was always working two jobs and going to school.  We had a great tradition of having breakfast together on Saturday mornings, at Fire District 10-VERY FUN TIMES!  I loved being able to see the camaraderie in the firehouse.  It put my mind at ease to see my son among such an awesome group of professionals.  Andrew worked so very hard to carve out his path in life.  He never gave up, and he never complained.  Who would have thought he would become a firefighter?!

 

Andrew loved spending time with family, more recently he especially liked to spend his time with two of his cousins, McKenzie and Morgan.

 

He worked so hard for so many years to carve his path in life.  He never gave up and he didn’t complain.  Who would have guessed he would become a firefighter!

 

Well as you may have guessed, Andrew became a firefighter.  He fought wild land fires in Spokane, and would tell us that he was very impressed with the amount of awesome food that was provided for the firefighters.

 

As a firefighter, Andrew was able to participate in the stair climbs to benefit Leukemia Research.  The day that Andrew was going to climb the stairs for the first time, I was on the phone with him right before he was to ascend, and I asked him how many floors?  Well, Andrew was standing with a bunch of his peers and so he was embarrassed to tell me the number.  It was 69.  After a few years, we laughed about that exchange every time we were together….those memories that take your breath away. 

 

Eventually Andrew would be called out of town to take a job with the Vancouver Fire Department.  He was so happy that his life had prepared him for the moment in time.  This was his moment.  All of his hard work and dedication had paid off!  WE ALL KNEW HE WOULD BECOME A FIREFIGHTER!!!

 

 

Never Say Goodbye

 

“…GoodBye is not an ending, for you’ll find along life’s way,

Within your heart you'll always have a part of yesterday.”

 

--Amanda Bradley

 

 

Moments are to be remembered and cherished.  Those memories that dwell in your heart, that take your breath away, that make you laugh, that make you cry.  Memories give us faith, they comfort our heart, and they allow us to be with our loved ones forever. They are a part of you, as much as you were a part of them.  Andrew was loved, and he loved his family.  He made connections with all the people he met.  It didn’t matter if it was his beloved little brother Trevor, his neighborhood clan, his boyhood pals, his scout family, his ROTC group, or his firefighter family.  You loved Andrew, and he loved you all right back.  Andrew cherished the time he was able to spend with family.  Andrew loved the time he spent with his younger cousins, McKenzie and Morgan, he loved helping neighbors when he came back home, and even took time to visit his honorary grandma, Cathy Bradley.    Andrew was able to enjoy some quality time in Mexico with his good buddies from high school, went to Las Vegas, enjoyed going to the Portland Trailblazers games, and of course a GREEN BAY PACKERS GAME!!    I would have loved to go to Lambeau field with Andrew for just one game.  Trevor and I may still make that trip one day.  We had talked about taking a family vacation to Hawaii sometime in the near future. For all of this I am thankful.  Remember the love.  REMEMBER the moments, and remember Andrew with a smile on your face, and his presence in your heart.  Remember, with the birth of that beautiful baby boy, the whole universe was changed, and nothing was ever the same….

 

Andrew, you will be greatly missed, but as always, we will not say, “Good-bye,” instead, we will say, “See you later, I Love You, be safe!”

 

Hug your kiddos!

 

With Love,

Mary Kate Miller (mother)

Ken Miller (father)

Trevor J. Miller (brother)

Samantha J. Miller

 

Thank you Missy Bradley Dixon with your help putting our thoughts and memories to words.