John's Memorial

Today was the memorial for my brother John. He left us a week ago and I doubt he realized the impact he had. John was a teacher, coach, advisor and a friend to many. At one point, there was a line out the door of people who wanted to pay their respects to Bill, myself and our mother. It was incredibly comforting to hear directly from his students the encouragement John gave them, as well as colleagues that received mentoring and friendship from him.

There are many questions that we'll never get the answers for, including why couldn't he ask for help instead of choosing his way. But John wasn't a man who compromised. He gave his entire self to his passions and spent his life on those passions, helping those around him while never asking for, nor accepting help. If you were pushing yourself he would back you up and if he suspected you weren't pushing hard enough, John would let you know.

I'm sorry that my kids and my husband never knew him, but I find solace in all the lives he touched and that he was able to give himself even in death through organ donation. While I hope to never go through this ordeal again, I'm so grateful for today because it allowed all who attended to take comfort and keep living.

Love is all that matters. Keep that in your life and you can truly live.