We lost a very dear friend this week at an all too young age. Damien went to Newfoundland to say goodbye, and Scott's brother wrote this and read it during the day. I thought it summed up a lot of thoughts better than I could say.
There is beauty in death. A beautiful wildflower for example, could not exist if it weren’t for the minerals deposited into the earth it grows from by every animal that lived and died before it. We ourselves, are stardust. We are all made up of the material that was blasted outward from ancient stars, billions of years ago. And if it weren’t for the death of those stars, we would not be here to watch in awe as our own sun rises and sets every day.
When I told Lillith that we have to focus on the good in this she asked “How can any good come from Daddy being gone?” A valid question for a 9 year old, or a 90 year old, but I think the key to coping with such great loss, is finding that elusive beauty that we know exists. It is the answer to the question ”Why?”
For instance, how many people here have told their kids they love them every single day since Scott went missing, or reached out to a long lost friend to say hello. Numerous times in the past 2 weeks my cousins Ronnie, Russell, Andy and I have sworn that will show up to more family events, or just get together of our own volition to sit and chat because we now know our time is fleeting. There is no doubt in any of our minds that this has brought us all closer together, and there IS beauty there…
Any how many people in the family or otherwise have since dusted off an old guitar Scott sold them and played a tune for the first time in years? A few days ago Andy and I played and sang together for the first time, and Ronnie spent the evening walking around his house with a guitar strapped to him for the first time in years...There’s beauty there too.
In fact I bet that all over this city and province, people everywhere have been hugging their loved ones a little tighter, keeping their children a little closer, catching up with old acquaintances and playing their guitars a little more. And to me that truly is a beautiful thing.
We also watched this province come together as a community, and the importance of this cannot be understated. Friends and strangers alike came together to help one of it’s own that was lost, and reminded us that that is exactly what community means. This too, is beautiful.
The connections that Scott made in his short lifetime are just now being realized by all of us collectively and it is amazing. I can’t tell you how many friends, strangers, or people from my past have written, or called just to show that they care. Or how many great conversations I’ve had and connections I’ve made with friends of Scotts that I had previously only ever known from a distance, or not at all. Perhaps his life was sacrificed, so that all of us could realize the one thing that he never did…That we are loved, that we are lucky, and that we impact more people in our daily lives than we will ever know. Knowing Scotty, he wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.
Luke, Lillith and Charlie. I know I am biased, but you have to be three of the most special kids I have ever met in my life. I pray that you take this life lesson and learn from it. Learn that, like your dad, you have the power to change so many peoples lives for the positive. Learn that you are talented beyond your wildest imaginations, and that the only limits that exist are those you put on yourself. And learn that being blessed with a large loving family, is something never to be taken for granted. They are like a force shield against the worst things in life. No matter what happens, no matter how bad it seems, we will always be there to help you and protect you.
Leonard Cohen once wrote: “there’s a crack in everything, that’s where the light comes in” I am determined to use Scotts passing as an opportunity to see only that light and I ask that every one of you honor him by trying to do the same...I believe that this event is only a tragedy, if we choose not to learn from it.
My cousin Ronnie can’t be here today, but he left me with a few words that I believe sum up the best way to honor Scotts legacy. “Strum Hard, Sing Loud, and Play Often” I know that somewhere, in that Great Gig in the Sky, Scott is doing just that.
Goodbye Scott, we love you and will miss you.
