On this Mother’s Day, there's one mother that needs some extra support.  Our friend Erika Glavas lost her beloved husband Matt this past week.  Whether you knew Matt from PVHS, Cal, the Coast Guard, his “summers in Rangoon” or somewhere else along the journey of life, I trust you too were touched by his kindness, his wit, his sense of humor and his devotion to his family.

Our hearts are broken for the Glavas family.  With Matt’s unexpected and tragic passing, a number of us having been talking about the best way to help Erika, Max, Zeke and Sam get through these trying times.  We decided the best approach is to raise a modest amount to help Erika pay for current expenses and also start a memorial fund for the boys’ college education.  Now is not the time for added anxiety about dealing with the present burden, but it is a time to honor Matt and to look forward to the future.  The amounts pledged will be split equally between current expenses and a college fund to enable the Glavas family to have some breathing room.

Matt made a huge difference in my life.  He was my best friend in high school and my freshman year college roommate at Cal.  When I first moved to Palos Verdes, with a bad haircut and even worse musical tastes, Matt (and Jeff Cooper) asked me to join his group at lunch on a glorious sunny day on Senior Park.  A lifelong bond was created.  Matt taught me to surf and encouraged me to play drums.  We talked for hours about life (and his love for Erika) crammed in his VW bug.  Life is about relationships, and I believe Matt and I made a difference in each other’s lives.  There’s so much to say – that I’ll never be able to say to Matt again – but I’ll leave it at that for now.

So if you crossed paths with Matt, if he made a small difference in your life, I hope you can consider a small pledge in his memory.  It will make a big difference to Erika and the boys now.