A sea of sentiments for a man who touched so many lives and will be deeply missed...they keep pouring in...each one filled with a story...filled with love...filled with shared loss and grief.
Dad would have been so proud and delighted...and humbled...to see all the faces gathered to honor him.
We have heard from so many...hundreds...all of the sentiments and stories, big and small have been absolutely beautiful.
The theme I’ve seen sewn gently through all have been about recognition...
That perhaps he saw something in you that you weren’t quite aware of
...yet...
and he subtly awakened you to it and gently directed you towards it...
or
you wanted to BE better...because of him...to make him proud...and that made you proud of YOU...
or
as a precious card read today...
”Your Dad holds a special place in my heart because we first met in his 7th grade class. I was so terrified going to a big school with so many new people, but his warmth and kindness made me feel safe. I cannot tell you how important that was for me, and how the community in that classroom helped ground me so I could flourish beyond it. It really was where it all started, and here we are decades later still connected.”
He changed lives in this very subtle way and I think it’s a fantastic reminder that you don’t have to bang on any drums or be a person of great power or means to make a significant change in the world.
All it takes is seeing the need and making the gesture...
the subtle redirect that changes a life.
That is my Dad’s legacy...
kindness, devotion and gentle guidance...
and I’m so very proud to be able to see him through your eyes.
He was an amazing man and he is deeply, deeply missed.