To Christian

My dear friend's husband passed away on Wednesday. It was peaceful and he was surrounded by his beloved wife and three of her sisters and a short Jew who pushed her way into the room (I hope that makes you smile, my dear Debra). It is a memory that I will never forget and will oddly cherish. There isn't much more that I can write because it isn't my place to do so. My place is to be there for my friend who has shown such dignity and strength during this dark time. I mourn for her, for his brother, for his family, for his friends and for my husband who lost a dear friend. I mourn for her because she lost the love of her life, her partner, her everything. Christian was a man of spirit, integrity, heart, humour and love. He was an egalitarian and a believer in people. He respected all who he met and would have fought tooth and nail for a friend. 

He loved his wife to the moon and back and the pride he showed when he talked about her was inspiring. I mourn the loss of this man who saw such good in the world. Debra and Christian had a relationship that many would strive to emulate. The laughter, the love, the dedication was obvious. I ask that people continue to show the incredible support they have for Debra. She is a rock but even rocks need support. I'm going to be her gravel - because that's what I do.

His legacy will continue and I hope that we all just take a minute and think of him and his loved ones. You can't take life for granted. We have to take each day and live it to our fullest. Christian passed knowing how much he was loved and together, as a couple, they truly lived life to its fullest, cherishing each other every day. That's all that anyone can hope for in life.

And so I end this post with a toast because a man like Christian is rare. May his memory never fade, may we always follow by his example and may we never stop thinking of him. To Christian, you will be incredibly and terribly missed.