Matt Cappotelli

Matt Cappotelli….

My love, my best friend, the best thing that ever happened to me… I know you wouldn’t want me to brag on you, but I’m your wife, so I’m allowed.

You were an amazing man. Smart, funny, athletic, charismatic, witty, handsome, kind, generous, and humble…But that’s not the main reason I fell in love with you 14 years ago, although I loved all of those qualities about you. Most of all, I fell in love with you because of your love for Jesus. 

I had prayed for a good, Christian man since I was around 12 or 13 years old, when you start thinking about those things. I dated a few guys in my young teenage years, nothing serious, but the one thing they all lacked was a strong faith-and I knew that was what I wanted in a man someday-someone who didn’t just SAY he was a Christian but who actually lived out his beliefs. I knew that was very rare and would be hard to find, but it was something that I would not compromise on when it came to my future husband.

When I first saw you wrestle at the shows at Ohio Valley Wrestling, I thought, “Oh, he’s pretty cute.” (But honestly, I thought that about quite of few of the wrestlers...I was 18 and boy crazy!) I had remembered you from Tough Enough, but when I found out about your strong faith in God, that’s when I knew I just had to meet you. Eventually, we did meet after one of the shows, and the rest as they say, is history.

After our second date, I knew I would marry you. Yes, I was only 18, but I KNEW beyond a shadow of a doubt that I had found the one I had been praying for. I remember driving home that night with you, and we talked about our faith, and how no one really "got it". We talked about how neither of us had ever drank alcohol. I just remember thinking, “Thank you, God, Thank you, God. Thank you, God.” 

I was in college when we first started dating, and I vividly remember walking around campus just on cloud nine thinking about how happy I was that I had found you. I mean, a man who lived out his faith AND was hot and had big muscles? I mean, how did I get so lucky? But no, it wasn’t luck. I truly believe you were sent to me from God, that God heard my prayers and orchestrated our lives so that we’d meet each other. I have thanked God for you every day for the last 14 years. You were all I ever wanted in a man and more.

The most common thing I hear people say about you is that you were one of, if not the BEST, person they knew. You have impacted countless lives. There was something about you-your smile, your laugh, just your presence, that drew people to you. But more than that, I think it’s because of the way you genuinely cared about others and how you made everyone you met feel important, like they mattered, no matter who they were. You made everybody feel like a somebody. You loved helping others, and you loved making people laugh-I think you were happiest when you were putting a smile on someone else’s face. You loved encouraging people and making people feel good. But you were definitely a prankster, too! You thoroughly enjoyed pulling off a good prank on someone.

From what I've heard about you in high school, you were the “jock”, the football star, and every girl’s crush. You were known for your feats on the football field, and then you became the hometown hero after winning the reality show, Tough Enough. Everyone in the town of Caledonia knew the name Matt Cappotelli. But none of that ever went to your head. You stayed humble and never thought you were better than anyone. You treated everyone with respect and kindness, and that is why people loved you.

Throughout all of your injuries and health conditions, and even after 2 brain surgeries, chemo, and radiation, you never complained or felt sorry for yourself. You never let it get you down. You were still always looking out for others more than yourself. When your condition began to decline last year and your parents and I became your caretakers, you were still always making sure that WE were okay-that’s just how you were.

I remember your first chemotherapy treatment, how the nurse asked if you needed anything else before she left, and you said, “A hug.” She got a huge smile on her face, along with everyone else in the room, and then gave you a hug. I am sure that made her day. That was just so you. Even right after your brain surgery last June, the very next day, you were cracking jokes and messing around with the nurses and therapists, making everyone laugh, as usual.

While I know you were disappointed that your dreams of becoming a WWE superstar didn’t become a reality, you didn’t throw a pity party for yourself. You continued to trust God and accepted His plan and made the most of where He put you. You continued to help and inspire others, even if it wasn’t in the wrestling ring. All you wanted to do from your first diagnoses in 2006, was to help and encourage others with your story. You wanted to bring hope, and you wanted to point people to Jesus. Which is what led you to get the two tattoos on your forearms- one that said, “It is finished” and the other in Hebrew that said, “through His blood I am healed”.

There are no words that can describe how much I will miss you.

I will miss you making me laugh every day. I'll miss snuggling on the couch with you, watching Dateline mystery. I'll miss laying in the hammock beside you. I'll miss our Summer Jeep rides, going out for ice cream after church, and our putt putt dates. I'll miss hiking through the woods and throwing football at the park with you. I'll miss going out for pizza. I'll miss you tinkering on your Jeep in the garage for hours and hours. 

I'll miss you sitting across from me at Chick-fil-a eating your three spicy chicken sandwiches. I'll miss floating in the pool with you all Summer, listening to country music. I'll miss our trips to the beach, soaking up the sun from morning to sunset. I'll miss having you spot me at the gym, and pumping me up, giving me complete confidence that I'd make the lift. I'll miss our nighttime foot rubs, your forehead kisses, your hugs and laying my head on your big muscle chest.

You were the ONLY person who truly knew the REAL me, the only one I could just let loose and be myself with. You knew me inside and out-my goofy side, my emotional side, my whiny and impatient side-all of me. You were the only one I could cry with, the one I shared everything with, the one I turned to for advice, encouragement, and comfort. You were the ONLY person I have ever been vulnerable with and shared my emotions with. No one else knows me like that. And you’re definitely the only person I’ve ever actually liked to hug! I’ll miss those hugs so much. In your arms, I felt safe, loved, happy,and content.

My life will never be the same without you by my side, without your hand to hold, and without your smile to see every day. I wanted to spend a lifetime with you...I wanted to be 80 years old, still holding your hand. And that would have been us, we would have been one of the ones that made it. 

But although our time was cut short, I am incredibly blessed and thankful that I got to share life with you for 14 years. You brought me SO MUCH happiness. Even after 12 years of marriage, I still looked forward to you walking in the door after work and giving you a big hug and kiss. Our marriage was full of laughter and so many smiles. No, it wasn’t perfect, and yes, we had our arguments, but what marriage doesn’t have that? I truly enjoyed spending life with you. You were an amazing husband, my best friend, my everything. 

I know that you’re in Heaven now and that this life is temporary. I know that compared to eternity, this life is just a vapor, over in the blink of an eye. But it sure doesn’t feel like that right now. A life without you feels like an eternity to me. I am sad. My heart aches. I weep and I grieve. I grieve for the life that we had and for the future we could’ve had. 

But...I don’t grieve as someone without hope. Because I know where you are, and I know that I will see you again. I find some comfort knowing that now you can now laugh and walk and talk again, that you’re no longer trapped and helpless in your body. I can just picture you right now joking around with Jesus, you bent over in laughter and Him slapping your back. I see your eyes crinkling and that big smile and those dimples showing. I can’t wait to join in with that laughter some day. 

Until then, I will keep your story and your memory alive. I will keep your words going so that you can continue to help and inspire others, like you always wanted to. I will honor you by loving and encouraging and helping those around me, just like you did. 

This world needs more people like you, Matt Cappotelli. But what the world truly needs is more people who love Jesus and others like Matt Cappotelli.