ODESSA, Texas — Sometimes there's more said with silence than words, like the words that aren't being said when someone is hurting emotionally but still physcially smiling.
“How quiet he was when you first met him, everybody always thinks he’s the shyest guy ever when they meet him and then two times into meeting him he’s out there and wild always talking to you, always cracking jokes," said Scott Lezama as spoke about his brother.
Sometimes sadness can overcome even the funniest of people.
"Nobody saw it coming... Michael Anthony Lezama, we called him Mikey," said Lezama. “A lot of us agree that if we would have been educated in suicide signs we would have all caught this ahead of time and been able to stop it."
Mikey would have been 21 years old on September 26, but instead of eating at one of his favorite restaurants or watching his nephew play indoor soccer, he received a different gift for his birthday this year- his headstone.
The day before this interview, Mikey finally received his headstone all by coincidence.
Scott Lezama couldn't prevent his brother's death but he hopes by sharing his brother's story he can save another life.
During the interview, as Scott began talking about the bright side he's found in a dark time the sun peered through the overcast day.
“He would be proud of me you know. He did leave a note for us before he did what he did and in that note, you know, he told me that he wanted me to go out and continue to be successful and do what I can to keep the family together," said Lezama.
That's why it's become Scott's mission to share Mikey's story with hopes of inspiring kindness and preventing another family from having the same story.
“You can change someone’s whole life around just by making them smile," said Lezama.
Scott and his family will be participating in the Walk to Fight Suicide to support Mikey.
That walk will be at Buffalo Wallow Sunday, October 6th, at 3 pm.
