Native people say that the heavens cry. A great man has passed and yesterday, as I grieved for him, the sky opened up and the spirits cried. Such a deep and loving, compassionate and forgiving soul is hard to find. I know that my friend brought nearly everyone he met joy and happiness. Perhaps it was the jaunty angle at which he wore his hats, perhaps it was his endlessly friendly demeanor, perhaps it was his zest for life, or honest appreciation for having the chance to live it. Whatever the qualities that he reflected, people who knew him can agree, there was no one better suited to spread feelings of happy wherever he went.
Sadly, he foretold the nature and timing of his death. Twenty-five years ago, when we were young college students, he took me aside and confided in me how afraid he was. He knew that he would be the first of our cadre to pass on and that cancer would take him when he still felt young. His endless respect for others, his undying love for those he knew and the childlike ways he played with any parameters you might set for his actions or behaviors kept him young in spite of the years that have gotten by on us all. I'm not sure whether the realization that he was mortal made him more alive or not. What I do know is that his love of life and the people he shared it with were self evident in his every action and interaction. some folks who had not smiled in years brightened their own demeanor whenever Tom was around.
Please, understand, we are each presented with an opportunity to participate in the world in a unique way. The vast majority of us seem to squander this opportunity, doing what others tell us to do, or doing things the way that they have always been done. It takes a strong spirit to challenge each and every aspect of "common knowledge" turning the act of living into an art. I understand that we cannot all be strong and creative, but fortunately for all of us who knew T, we are certainly glad that some people have the strength of will, the power and the creativity to try. Bless you, Tom and may your path be scattered with the fallen leaves of summer. May you find a place to lay down near a babbling brook and may the spirits of the place be as welcoming of you as we have always been. Miss you brother, Namaste'
Sadly, he foretold the nature and timing of his death. Twenty-five years ago, when we were young college students, he took me aside and confided in me how afraid he was. He knew that he would be the first of our cadre to pass on and that cancer would take him when he still felt young. His endless respect for others, his undying love for those he knew and the childlike ways he played with any parameters you might set for his actions or behaviors kept him young in spite of the years that have gotten by on us all. I'm not sure whether the realization that he was mortal made him more alive or not. What I do know is that his love of life and the people he shared it with were self evident in his every action and interaction. some folks who had not smiled in years brightened their own demeanor whenever Tom was around.
Please, understand, we are each presented with an opportunity to participate in the world in a unique way. The vast majority of us seem to squander this opportunity, doing what others tell us to do, or doing things the way that they have always been done. It takes a strong spirit to challenge each and every aspect of "common knowledge" turning the act of living into an art. I understand that we cannot all be strong and creative, but fortunately for all of us who knew T, we are certainly glad that some people have the strength of will, the power and the creativity to try. Bless you, Tom and may your path be scattered with the fallen leaves of summer. May you find a place to lay down near a babbling brook and may the spirits of the place be as welcoming of you as we have always been. Miss you brother, Namaste'
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