These three entries, from myself, from my wife, and from my Dad, will be read at Micah’s funeral.

Excerpts from my diary on Micah, the first week after his passing

June 22, 2022

Now I sit at my desk in the garage before the same lantern I lit the last time I had a good chat with Micah. He dropped in for the night, on his way to begin his new job as cook at Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. Praise God for that special last visit with my precious baby boy! He grew up to be a cowboy – tallest and toughest man among us. So glad I was able to tell him that I was proud of him and that I loved him!

About everyone loved Micah! I will miss you, son!

We must grieve in a righteous way, not in a destructive way. We must go on living fully for God.

6/23

For about the last 12 years, serving Micah has been a means of sanctification and of showing love. I’d happily do it all over again! Now, one last week or so of focusing on helping Micah. What a privilege!

God is good – merciful and just. We abandon ourselves to his providence. “It is well with my soul.” 

6/24

Much in our society, that Micah showed contempt for, deserves the rebellion and scorn. How much of his fight was noble, or from a young man’s thirst for adventure and thrill, or from the influence of hippie – culture, I can’t know. He did think, read, and argue deeply, though. He did philosophy, and not in any sterile professional sense. He was a deep and tenacious thinker. Many long discussions with him I found to be challenging and exhausting, but meaningful.

6/25

The last pictures of Micah, on that last visit home, on his way to Martha’s Vineyard, reveal the joyful and loving Micah of his childhood. He told me in the garage his last night home, that a Christian family reached out and helped him greatly when he was in a desperate situation; he said they were “the real deal”. Not for about 12 years did he ever have a positive comment or attitude toward Christians. Given the sudden and stark contrast in him, and his being sober for five months, we have strong evidence of conversion. We do have a legitimate reason to hope for Micah’s redemption. Two nights before he died, God woke his mother, to pray the rosary for him. I too prayed for him a couple days ahead, with his death in mind.

6-26

I realized during Mass today that praying for those in purgatory will become much more significant to me. I’ll pray for Micah at least every other day, before lifting weights as my offering up a sacrifice with those prayers. Micah was strong and I’ve been physically undisciplined. This will honor him, my accepting his example and humbling myself in acknowledging his strength, determination, and discipline.

6/27

Micah was not one for whining, making excuses, focusing on the negative, giving up, laziness, self-pity. He always believed that there was a way, that he would find it and succeed at the given mission or task. He embodied what made the Old West, what made America great: boldness, courage, optimism. Thank you Micah, for your good example to me, in many ways. Minus some of his recklessness, which I too have been guilty of, he’d still likely be here for me to continue learning from, to teach, to converse with–enjoy his company.

6/28

Tenacious, persistent, determined, strong, courageous, optimistic, hopeful, giving, outgoing, and yes, sometimes reckless. These largely portray God’s gift to his mother and I: Micah Philip Anderson! 

Hebrews 10:22; 4:14-16 

Entries From My Journal (Micah’s Mother, DeeDee Anderson) in Memory of My Son, Micah

Just like Dan, I keep a journal. Here are just a few entries from the past 2 weeks I would like to share.

June 21, 2022 The day before Micah’s passing

…O Jesus, may I be faithful to pass my days in incessant giving of thanks!

In everything give thanks! For You are with me to the end of the age. Your mercy endureth forever.

June 22, 2022 Micah’s day of passing

…as I have said for 28 years, I say today: Into Your hands I place Micah.

Your hands that were always reaching out to him with love and mercy, for YOU ARE love and mercy.

Your hands that were nailed to the cross to atone for our sin.

I don’t know if Micah finally ran to Your outstretched hands, only You do.

But I thank you for giving him to me as a gift for these past 28 years…

June 25, 2022

God, You say that You cause all things to work together for good, to those who love You.

I know I will continue to see good come from this. You also say that man was made in Your likeness and image. In many ways Micah reflected that… quick to help people in need. If someone needed something and Micah had it, he gave it.

I know of 3 lives he helped to save, 2 from suicide and the other, pulling him back before being hit by a car.

Only once did I know of Micah at the point of wanting to give up. I thank you, God, for Micah reaching out to me at that time, and for the many people who gathered just to pray for him.

Time and time again of being knocked down, either by his own doing or by events beyond his control, he jumped back up, determined to move on to another adventure. I know Micah would be disappointed if anyone allowed this tragedy to be used for destruction, despair or anger. May I use it to love more deeply.

July 2, 2022

Yesterday morning we received Micah’s remains. Dan showed great honor to Micah’s body. Our son was an extension of our love:

 “knit together [in my very womb], fearfully and wonderfully made… Your works are wonderful, I know that full well…all the days ordained were written in Your book before one of them came to be” (Psalm 139:13-16). 

Later in the afternoon we received all of Micah’s belongings; everything he owned fit in 2 boxes. In one of the boxes was a treasure beyond measure. Written by Micah on 3 index cards was something he wrote, his own little journal, but I’m sure he would be so happy to have it shared.

I’ll let Micah have the final words:

“The only way for me to stay sober and to be happy is to love God.

God is love.

If we can love others, doing acts of kindness and helping them to be happy and to see this truth.

If I can do that, I can stay sober.

If I do this I can have a meaningful life and give thanks to the Lord.

It feels amazing.

Praise be to the Highest!!!”

Remembering Micah (From Micah’s Grandfather, John Anderson) 

Micah left this world, suddenly, just as did his great grandfather…hitting a tree while driving his car. 

His world stopped instantly, leaving behind parents, brothers…me, his grandfather…and so many

relatives and friends.

Just one month ago Micah and I spent an hour together, he enroute to Martha´s Vineyard, looking with

typical Micah expectation to this new job as a cook in a very special place…telling me that “I´ll see you

in five months, Grandpa”, when the tourist season ended at Martha´s Vineyard.

Micah’s season ended less than a month later after saying goodbye to me.

Among our 25 grandchildren, Micah was unique. He was a truly happy child, bringing joy wherever he

went. How well I remember when it was his turn for the weeklong “11 year old trip” of each

grandchild…his visiting us by airplane in Alabama to be with us. In taking him to the airport for his

return trip, he turned to me saying “I´m smiling so much that my face hurts”!. That was vintage

Micah…the Micah that God created…a fun, joyous, loving human being.

But then, there was a darker side…Micah had encounters with too much alcohol…over a period of

years. How comforting to remember, however, is a recent phone conversation with me when he told

me how “something happened, I just lost my desire for alcohol”! Was that something God, touching

his life, liberating him? I´ll never know. But I do know that our loving Heavenly Father loved Micah. 

I felt Micah´s love, always. So did his aunts, uncles, cousins…and even his new workers at Martha´s

Vineyard, as when a coworker sobbed when hearing the news.

Micah was always prone to be one who lived on the edge of life, taking chances, being exposed to

dangers. This was in his DNA…the Micah God created. Perhaps the way he left this life was just the

completion of this DNA? 

I will continue to pray for Micah…prayers to my Heavenly Father who loved him even more than me,

his grandfather. I love you Micah, I miss you, and I always will. Perhaps by God´s grace I will see

you soon.

Micah’s obituary