r.i.p. kenny g
this morning i took my third japanese bath and returned to my room to prepare myself for climbing mt. misen. before heading out for the day, i checked my email and was surprised to see messages from my old high school friends. the news in each of the messages was the same: your first love, kenny grant, died this morning.
“what’s it to you?” my most recent boyfriend asked. and so meditated on it for a while, asking myself, what DOES it mean for me?
first of all, it matters not for whom the bell tolls*. we are all connected. each man’s death is a loss to all on this great earth, for no longer are others able to share in the joys his life adds to the world. so long as there is suffering and sadness, all shall have suffering and sadness in the corners of their hearts.
death is also a reminder of the cycle of life. life in this body, on this earth, is not eternal. i too can die at any moment. similarly, those i love and those i have loved before will not be with me forever in the physical realm.
most importantly, however, his death is a reminder of the great lesson he taught me: while honesty, direct communication and clarity about your feelings are of utmost importance, so are consistency, compassion and simplicity.
thank you kenny for sharing so much of your life with me. thank you for the laughter and the joy you added to mine. you will never be forgotten.
*see my last post
