My mind is been going all over the place today. The death of
a friend will do that. It wasn't a close friend, in fact I had never met him.
He was part of the Comic Geek Speak crew and community. His name is Jamie D. His name is adorning my
Facebook wall like no other name has. I think that says a lot about the man.
Most of these have the term "rest in peace," or RIP for short. We've
all seen or wrote those letters hundreds of times. Today however, I've been
thinking about the words that they represent. Unfortunately, Jamie's story is
not unique. Jamie passed away today after a five-year battle with cancer. The
type of cancer doesn't matter, the treatment he sought doesn't matter, the
results are still the same. He wasn't the first to die from cancer, nor, sadly,
will he be the last. People die from it every day. When you hear people talk
about loved ones who have passed away from this disease, it's usually with
words like, "he lost his battle" those words are usually very very
accurate. And that brings me to the letters.
R I P
As I said before, we see those letters all the time, and we
know the words they represent. Today though, I guess I have a deeper understanding
of their meaning.
REST - I think of
times that I have done anything strenuous. Whether it be hiking, swimming,
working in the yard, playing sports, or anything else that wears you out.
There's nothing like sitting down to rest. It's amazing how good it makes your
body feel. Even just after a long day, there's something special about flopping
on the couch or crawling in bed, and resting. I don't think however, that
Jamie, or anyone else who happens to be suffering from that horrible disease,
especially those in the final stages, did much resting. He may have been in
bed, but I doubt he was getting a good rest. There's that "battle,"
remember. It doesn't call a "cease fire" when someone is laying there
in bed. In fact, by then it's raging more fiercely than ever.
IN PEACE - A few
days ago I was in a hotel. I was lying in bed. I was "resting" but it
was not very peaceful. The people in the next room were noisy. Like, really
noisy. The television was loud, the talking was loud, all of that. It's hard
not to hear it in hotels. I also think about times when I wasn't feeling good.
Like when you lay down when you're having an upset stomach. You're trying to
rest, but if anything but peaceful. And there are times I've been in the most
peaceful of surroundings, such as in the mountains, and sweating and breathing
heavy because of how hard I'm working. It's very hard to really rest in a non
peaceful environment.
REST IN PEACE - I
guess maybe that's why this is the sendoff we give to people who passed away.
They have, as Paul said, fought the good fight. They deserve rest… In peace. No
more battles to fight. No more mountains to climb. No more struggles to
overcome. Those are the things left to us, left to the living. What we wish for
a loved one when they pass, is a rest, and peace. So to you, Jamie D, to all
those whose race is over, to all whose battle is finished, to all whose time has
come, I say simply rest in peace.
Rest ... In Peace.
