Shawn loved martial arts and scholastic wrestling. In fact, the night he died he was testing for a brown belt in Jiu Jitsu. His favorite move was a fireman’s carry. He would come home telling stories of how he taught someone a new move. He worked hard on any new techniques the class had found challenging. He would ask if I minded if he went to class early to help someone, or just get some extra time to practice.
Another hobby of Shawn’s was learning Photoshop. Some of the quilt pictures are from his many projects. He would post his favorite pictures in forums each week. Most pictures were of our family. He’d spend hours learning, editing, and reviewing before he would print or post a picture. He took pride in this picture he took a little before we got engaged. Even after we had kids he still kept it was his computer desktop at work.
“You’re the Inspiration” was our first dance song. This song means more to me know because these lyrics helped me get through this difficult year. He took ownership of his life by doing what he thought needed to be done. He did not care what others thought, but rather just cared about others. He never came up with excuses for why he could not do something. When we had kids he embraced all the responsibilities that came along. He loved them with all of his heart. Shawn lived his life with zest and passion, and did not overly concern himself with issues that he could not control.