To the family:
Routine.
Everyone loves it. I miss mine. Hard.
I would wake up every morning and drink my cup of joe and listen.
Just like you, I loved the voice of my guy through those speakers.
Let's be honest, he was your guy before he was mine.
When we met those three full years ago,
I didn't know who he was or what impact he had on so many of your morning commutes.
I just knew he was a cute guy, with a full sleeve, that rode a bike.
I was in my own little world at the time, music was my routine but
Pandora was my little safe space.
After our first lunch that neither one of us wanted to end
and after learning of how small the world really is,
I tuned into an FM dial that I never had before.
Ironic?
Yes.
Growing up with jokes about radio personalities and terminations-
I grew up with talk like that.
I can remember my dad saying,
"Welcome to radio..."
Let's not forget the greatest "fire" of all time.
When my dad's Hispanic station took over the call letters of someone's show.
Oops.
That was the first and only time- until recently.
That was truly a "business decision" as one corporation bought the other.
My dad is still at those infamous call letters that collided our worlds...
And that "fire" was the one that catapulted his career.
This industry, as fickle as it can be, you can't help but grow to love it.
I grew to love him.
His voice drew me in.
Everyday.
Just like you, I tuned in, every morning.
From the first date to the "emergency contact" days
to the marriage proposal to lightning strikes to having babies...
Hip, heart, hitched, home...
He shared us from the very beginning.
All of us.
Open. Honest. All of it.
As we grew. You grew.
I eventually was waking up without him 5 days in a row.
Instead, growing to love waking up to a sweet text message
and his voice through the speakers on that same device.
His voice still draws me in.
But unlike you, for now, I get to hear it everyday- every morning in fact.
I will never forget the breakfast where the waitress said,
"wait, i know your voice."
That was one of many times a complete stranger warmed my heart.
His stories always made me laugh.
Sometimes he'd tell our stories wrong
(if you're asking his wife ;))
Sometimes he'd make me spit my coffee.
Sometimes he made cry.
Sometimes your stories made me cry.
Sometimes your "happy headlines" made me happy cry.
We were connected.
I know the feeling of that connection being torn from you for no good reason.
All the feelings you are having- I am having as well.
Confusion.
Unknown.
Why.
Wait what.
What the hell.
Don't get it.
Can you imagine how he feels?
I think I do, we share everything-
communication to a fault maybe...
But good God-
My heart aches for him.
Not because he's my husband
but because he truly loved waking up with you guys every morning
AND
he's damn good at his job.
Underestimated?
I promise you that.
It will never be admitted.
Ever.
Ego does that to you over time.
But how about that show?
There's nothing like it now...
And no you can't just throw someone a mic and hope it works.
I'm not telling you anything you don't already know or haven't figured out.
We are all learning as we go.
Clearly.
Having grown up in such industry, it was dinner table talk for all of my childhood.
It's nothing new to switch it up fast and furious and forget.
Well- they think you will.
It's not acknowledged. It's the past. The past sucks. We are moving forward.
This is the new and everyone loves it.
Here- drink the Koolaid.
Trust me.
None of it is coincidence.
Who likes Kool-aid anyway?
If you're reading this,
you're definitely not a robot or a heartless human
and you too, probably don't like Kool-aid.
You, my friends, are the ties that bind.
We are all connected some way, some how.
Many of you have been listening to him longer than I have known him.
You have been there with him through everything.
Since his first day.
Not to mention, accepting me as family when I became his.
We don't expect you to forget.
Nor would we ask you to.
We understand the loyalty.
We appreciate it.
It means something.
And is worth everything.
Regardless of the way you've been made to feel,
you are an asset.
One the airwaves need. Count on. Depend on.
You are powerful.
Invaluable.
So knowing that, don't to lose your voice.
Last week we took a little journey to "Facebook live" land....
from home, for fun.
Just to reach out and say:
"Hi!"
"We hear you"
"We feel you"
"We appreciate you"
"Thank you"
Keeping my composure was hard at first,
because here I sit next to man that begins to talk...
That voice.
What a gift.
The compassion, the care, the creativity.
He truly loves what he does.
And no one can take that away.
No one.
Ya know, somethings in life just don't make any sense.
So my/our routine gets silenced, for now.
But as with everything, it's not permanent.
I hate silence.
But they always say to sit in it.
Be uncomfortable in it.
Look around.
Take a breath.
Think.
We've been doing all of those things.
Each day gets better.
YOU GUYS HAVE MADE IT BETTER!
The support and love for Matt and our family
directly from you has effected us deeply.
Many many heartfelt thank you's to each and everyone of you.
We have no idea what the future has in store for us, for him-
but we do know one thing is for sure.
We are looking up and forward.
Not down and never backwards.
We have learned the difference between a career,
and what defines us.
Because they are two totally different things.
I can promise you this,
in 10 years this will be a page in our book.
Not the end and it was definitely not the beginning.
A fond memory for sure.
But we learn, love and let go.
It will eventually be in our past, the emotions will subside and it will become
something we can remember and embrace.
The difference being that we don't and won't have to hang on to
those infamous call letters to define us.
The connections, friendships, relationships, camaraderie that has been built-
that's what we will take with us.
That is worth a definition.
We hope you're up for the adventure, this little family vacation we are on...
because after all,
it's all about the family...
And we consider you just that.
See you Monday in Facebook Live Land...
4pm.
