Heartbreaking Loss

There are moments that seem to pivot your world on a dime, and send it in a completely different directly in a single moment, and perhaps none so sudden and profoundly sad as the news of the loss of someone dear.  I'm still trying to wrap my head around the news that my dear friend Gerald is gone, along with his brother, in a tragic motorcycle accident last night.  I found out this afternoon, by viewing some comments on a photo of him on Facebook, and the words "rest in peace" were left pounding on the door of my brain, where my heart was yelling to not let them in.  I just started saying "no, no, noooooo!" out loud as the tears began to fall and my heart broke in two.  For the friendship lost, for the loved ones left behind, for time lost between visits, for the words not spoken.  

Everyone who loses someone talks about what a great person they were, and Gerald was not only no exception, he totally set the bar for others.  His Facebook page is overflowing with countless comments from others who feel the same.  The shock and devastating loss of his sudden passing has started a flood of memories that span the seven years that I've known him, and it's hard to try to put into words what he meant to me and so many others, which feels rather impossible as I'm still trying to absorb the news.

Gerald was one of those people who made friends quickly, and people were drawn to his good nature and true care for others.  He adored his family and friends, and had this way of making you feel like the only person in the room when he was speaking with you.  His relationship with his son, Daniel, who is like a miniature version of Gerald, was very special to witness.  They truly delighted in one another.  Gerald was fiercely loyal, and steadfast in his convictions, but without judgment toward others, always willing to listen.  I was fortunate to first know him professionally, and then to become one of his good friends, and it was one of the dearest friendships that I've known, even when there would be many months between catching up with one another.  He had a fantastic sense of humor, and we shared too many laughs to count.  Gerald truly cared about doing a good job at everything that he did, and he often went the extra mile whether it be for work, for his friends, or for his family.  He was the type of person who made you better by knowing him, and while my heart is broken with the news of his death, I am profoundly grateful to have known him and been able to call him a true friend.  His brother Eldon, whom I did not know as well, was very similar to Gerald in many ways, and they were both fine men whom their family and friends truly adored. Their passing is a huge loss for all of us who knew them.

His mother lost both of her sons in this tragic accident, and while there are no words to describe that type of loss, my hope is that there is comfort in knowing that Gerald and Eldon's spirit lives on in each of their children.

It is often the tragedies of life that teach us to appreciate the joys, and this is all too sad of a reminder to take the time to tell your loved ones what they mean to you while you can, as things can change in an instant, and the brightest of lights is dimmed too soon.

I have been fortunate to have had some great friendships in my life, with each of them having a unique meaning and impact.  Some friendships have passed or changed form, and others may have long periods in between coming back together, but they all have not only shaped me, but are engrained in the very fabric of my being.  Gerald was one of those friends, and I don't think I ever told him that.  But hopefully he knew.