A Eulogy - Reid Burrows (23 Jun 1987-20 Apr 2011)
So I get to write two of these this month, but the circumstances are quite different this time.
The more friends you make in this world, the more risk you have of outliving them. But you never, ever think that you'd have to write eulogies for folks so much younger than you.
Sadly, from the day I met him, I knew Reid's days were very drastically numbered. You see, he'd been fighting cancer since the day ladyseiryuu met him, years ago back in Ohio. I didn't get to meet him until late February, when he and his wife Lindsey came down to enjoy a deferred honeymoon. By this point, he was wheelchair-bound, frail, in pain ... and yet none of this could dull a clear, incisive wit, a keen knowledge of music, a down-to-earth personality, and a clearly good heart. By the time I met him, he had no chance but to "live like he was dying" because, frankly, he was dying, but more importantly, he was living.
Compared to that I'm a coward who can only tell other people's stories, but their stories deserve to be told with songs of praise. Reading his Facebook wall now is a great tribute to all the folks whose lives he touched, the folks he made smile and laugh. Even though I only got to spend a few days with him, I'm on that list, too.
A friend who had the chance to know him longer than I wrote this and it resonates with me. He fought to live as long as he could, as well as he could, and we all should be as lucky to do the same with the time allotted to us. Brave, kind, funny, loving.
Today he slipped away to the other side, leaving his wife and family behind. Just about three months from the day I met him, I now mourn him. But that's so much better than having never had the chance to swap jokes and stories and laughter.
Reid Burrows was awesome. I'll drink to that.
The more friends you make in this world, the more risk you have of outliving them. But you never, ever think that you'd have to write eulogies for folks so much younger than you.
Sadly, from the day I met him, I knew Reid's days were very drastically numbered. You see, he'd been fighting cancer since the day ladyseiryuu met him, years ago back in Ohio. I didn't get to meet him until late February, when he and his wife Lindsey came down to enjoy a deferred honeymoon. By this point, he was wheelchair-bound, frail, in pain ... and yet none of this could dull a clear, incisive wit, a keen knowledge of music, a down-to-earth personality, and a clearly good heart. By the time I met him, he had no chance but to "live like he was dying" because, frankly, he was dying, but more importantly, he was living.
Compared to that I'm a coward who can only tell other people's stories, but their stories deserve to be told with songs of praise. Reading his Facebook wall now is a great tribute to all the folks whose lives he touched, the folks he made smile and laugh. Even though I only got to spend a few days with him, I'm on that list, too.
A friend who had the chance to know him longer than I wrote this and it resonates with me. He fought to live as long as he could, as well as he could, and we all should be as lucky to do the same with the time allotted to us. Brave, kind, funny, loving.
Today he slipped away to the other side, leaving his wife and family behind. Just about three months from the day I met him, I now mourn him. But that's so much better than having never had the chance to swap jokes and stories and laughter.
Reid Burrows was awesome. I'll drink to that.