To Whomever: I am behind on my letters to Shane. This is the October letter. Perhaps it is more timely now, amidst the sea of negative posts and hate comments that are clogging up social media in regards to the Ferguson situation. Shane hated hate & judgement. He never understood those things, and that makes me proud. Letter #14 from a Father to His Son Hey Shane. Dad. It’s now been 16 months since you left this world. Your words still live. Your impact still resonates. Your manner was quiet, but your soul was deep. You saw everything life had to offer: the good, the bad….. the beauty, the ugliness…..the love, the hate. You perceived life in its fullness. You accepted it, and dealt with all of it in honest fashion. In the process, your view of the world took shape and was expressed in your music and poetry. And so you left behind a legacy of life-thoughts that are filled with wonder. Your sensitivity to the deep things of life and your thirst to live beyond mere existence caused you to search for simple, yet important truths…..the things that really matter beyond ourselves. Here are just a few things you breathed into my life through the words you spoke and the life you lived. 1. “Don’t complain. Ever”. When I would gripe, you’d say, “Dad, don’t complain. Don’t say negative things about people and don’t criticize. Just don’t”. 2. “Don’t judge. Anyone. Ever. No one has a right to judge another person, no matter what the circumstance. Work to wipe out hatred, but accept everyone”. 3. “Love trumps all other things. Love people. Care about them. Help others, especially those who are hurting. And never seek credit or attention for doing a good thing. Random acts of kindness done in secret are the best kind”. 4. “Be humble. Never elevate yourself above others. Humility is healthy. Appreciate your talents and gifts, and share them. But don’t let it feed your ego. Ever”. 5. Live your passion. Everyone has a purpose….a calling….a passion. Find it and live it. None of that is revelatory. There’s nothing new in any of that. Not really. We’ve all heard that stuff before. The value is not merely found in those words, it’s found in putting them into action. You lived those words daily, and that has made all the difference in your legacy. Shane, I love you as deeply as possible. I miss you relentlessly. We will see you again. Someday. Love, dad
Posted on: Mon, 01 Dec 2014 00:32:47 +0000
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