Ole Miss Texan
05-13-2011, 09:11 AM
James Casey may think first of his mother, Susan, who died in a fire when he was 16 years old. She’d be so proud to see him walk across that stage at Rice on Saturday, degree in hand, knowing he’d worked so hard and overcome so much.
Ten years ago, she’d just finished an overnight work shift and was catching a few hours of sleep after getting James and his younger sister off to school when an appliance caught fire in the trailer in which they were living.
James was summoned from a classroom at Azle High School and given the news his mother had died and the family’s home destroyed.
“We had nothing,” he said. “I had a backpack and what I was wearing.”
Thus began a journey of pain and disappointment but also one of love, hope and inspiration.
“It’s easy to feel sorry for yourself and stay down,” Casey said. “I eventually looked at what I thought her mindset would be. She wouldn’t want me to be moping around and complaining. She would have wanted me to make something of myself and make her proud.”
That he has done. Along the way, he has had some help and caught some breaks and made some of his own.
First, there were the good people of Azle, who provided clothes, shelter and money. He lived here and there, with his older sister for awhile, with his future wife’s family, with the trainer at Azle High School.
He considers them all family now, especially since his father, Steve, died last year, a victim of years of smoking and hard labor. His mother-in-law, Holly Henderson, has been there at every turn.
These are the memories that will rush back. On a day when he will be surrounded by friends and family, by his buddies from Rice and his teammates from the Texans, it’ll be a day of overwhelming emotion.
Much, much more in the article...
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/justice/7563038.html
Ten years ago, she’d just finished an overnight work shift and was catching a few hours of sleep after getting James and his younger sister off to school when an appliance caught fire in the trailer in which they were living.
James was summoned from a classroom at Azle High School and given the news his mother had died and the family’s home destroyed.
“We had nothing,” he said. “I had a backpack and what I was wearing.”
Thus began a journey of pain and disappointment but also one of love, hope and inspiration.
“It’s easy to feel sorry for yourself and stay down,” Casey said. “I eventually looked at what I thought her mindset would be. She wouldn’t want me to be moping around and complaining. She would have wanted me to make something of myself and make her proud.”
That he has done. Along the way, he has had some help and caught some breaks and made some of his own.
First, there were the good people of Azle, who provided clothes, shelter and money. He lived here and there, with his older sister for awhile, with his future wife’s family, with the trainer at Azle High School.
He considers them all family now, especially since his father, Steve, died last year, a victim of years of smoking and hard labor. His mother-in-law, Holly Henderson, has been there at every turn.
These are the memories that will rush back. On a day when he will be surrounded by friends and family, by his buddies from Rice and his teammates from the Texans, it’ll be a day of overwhelming emotion.
Much, much more in the article...
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/justice/7563038.html