He continued to be creative with his Lego pieces…he read…he kept up with his friends…he made the most of a very harsh reality and just lived his best life with what he had. Regardless of his diagnosis, it was still the best life he could live…and he made the most of his time. In essence, he was passionate about learning.ĭespite the adversity that he faced since April of last year and some seriously brutal moments that would knock the strongest of us down, Matthew chose to look at his circumstances with optimism. And he questioned everything, as he wrapped his head around new ideas and concepts. He loved sports cars and spent a great deal of time coming up with new designs with his many Lego pieces. He excelled not only academically, but as a team player as well on and off the field…or the ice…or the court. He absorbed everything that he read, like there wasn’t enough time on this planet to get through all of the amazing books that he held in his hands. We experienced life through his eyes as he inhaled his own learning experiences, thriving when given a challenge. This is how he lived his short ten years. It’s not a life of perfection, it’s a life of, like, change and discovery.” (Matthew Isaak, May 11, 2019) “I think we have about the best life we could have. At nine, shortly after he became ill and despite being as sick as he was, he summarized what life is to him,

In short, Matthew loved every minute of his dash.Īnd he was so incredibly introspective from a very young age. His smile radiated in a classroom, and his friends and teachers fed off of his positivity. He spent his time raising his classmates up…he complimented them, he helped them when they were struggling, he cut them some slack when they weren’t being on their best behavior. He was the epitome of kindness, of joy, and of empathy and was considered by everybody to be such an amazing friend.

I know that Matthew lived his dash to the fullest. Yet, when I read this poem, I felt somewhat better. At the age of 10, his physical body could no longer support him and so now, we find ourselves grieving for his parents and ourselves.

Selfishly, I wish that his dash had been decades longer, and that the world had been able to benefit from his awesomeness. He passed away this past Friday, following a cancer diagnosis last June. A friend posted the poem, The Dash by Linda Ellis on her Facebook page this week, and it brought me right back to my student, Matthew.

The dash poem