Come on down, swing on by
Bring whatever's been on your mind
Locals on tap and bottles on ice
Livin' on feel-good standard time
My card's on the bar, you got nowhere to be
If you don't come through, buddy, that's on you
'Cause the beer's on me
Yeah, the beer's on me- Dierks Bently "Beers On Me"
Livin' on feel-good standard time
My card's on the bar, you got nowhere to be
If you don't come through, buddy, that's on you
'Cause the beer's on me
Yeah, the beer's on me- Dierks Bently "Beers On Me"
Losing a child sucks, and it doesn't matter how you lost them. There is no scale or ranking as to the level of grief based upon how they died. There are so many things that suck about it that listing them would take too long. Everything from holidays, to missed milestones, to those little triggers that may only apply to you all suck. Even worse, twice a year, those left behind suffer from the two worst gut punches: birthdays and angelverseries.
This June 16th, my son Peyton would have turned 21, that magical age when you can purchase guns, cigarettes, and legally drink alcohol. Many fathers, myself included, look forward to buying their son their first legal drink. They want to take them to their favorite, tavern, pub, dive bar, ice house, or watering hole, and introduce them to all the regulars, watch them proudly take their unaltered ID out of their wallet, hand it to the bartender, and order the drink of their choice.
I'll never get to do that as Peyton took his own life at the age of 13. Instead, it will be another missed day in what should have been Peyton's great life.
However, thanks to the same video countdown show where Cody Johnson made me cry, Dierks Bentley, along with Hardy and Breland, gave me an idea. In their song "Beers On Me", they are driving around in a beer truck, rolling up on various social events, and handing out free beer to happy people. Now before people get all butt hurt, I know that alcohol can be the root of people's problems and not the solution. I know in many cases, alcohol causes problems, and can be abused, but that is a different topic for another time.
I live near Austin, and there are a surprising number of breweries, distilleries, and wineries in the area. Many of these establishments offer great food, an impressive drink selections, and even have entertainment for the kids. I love going to these various establishments where I can sit under a tree on a beautiful Central Texas day, listen to live music, eat my fill, and enjoy a cold beer. I wish I could have taken Peyton to one of these establishments
The idea is simple and based on the song. I asked a plethora of the establishments if they would allow me to put out a collection jar where people would be able to "Buy Peyton A Beer". Any funds collected would go to my non-profit The Peyton Heart Project to help fund out mission to raise awareness of mental health issues and stop suicide, especially among young people. Thus far, the response has been positive, and I will be putting jars out at several of these establishments along with information about Peyton and The Peyton Heart Project.
Unfortunately, most of my readers don't liven the Austin area, but they can still honor Peyton on his birthday. On June 16th, go to your favorite bar, ice house, cantina, watering hole, or brewery and buy a beer for a first responder or medical professional in honor of those that fought so bravely to try and save his life during those fateful days in October so long ago. Let them know who Peyton was, and how he is still making a difference in the world.
If you own one of the aforementioned establishments and want to help, please contact me directly at peytons.heart13@gmail.com to see how you can be part of the celebration.
Will this idea be successful? I have no clue, but what it will do is give a father a way to celebrate a birthday with a son that left this world far too soon.
