Ignited Remembrance

- For G, and all those we remember who helped us find our way  

With tears of forever gratitude
And still a heavy heart, 
I remember,
And go onward. 

You always had more confidence in me
Than I had in myself. 

You trusted me 
More than ever I trusted myself. 

You believed in me
And pushed me to grow, to try. 

Your knowing smile often said 
“See, I told you, you got this.”

We had a journey of work:
Years, locations, mishaps, 
Laughs and learning. 

I stayed and worked
A year longer,
For your mentorship
And in duty and loyalty
Certainly not for the money. 
For the growth, the friendship,
Help navigating life, 
A true sense of team. 

Then I left
And only sporadically came back to visit,
Although I wrote you a glowing recommendation. 

And then you in 2022
Sick and battling,
Gone in only 68 days.
At 49

This shocked me
Like electricity 
In my veins. 
At 44

A zap,
To live
To be alive
To adventure 
To bring and be
All I can, to the world.

Fulfilling this 
Is my repayment. 
I can honour your time,
Cut short. 

There’s no real closure
Or acceptance,
There was no goodbye; 
Maybe that’s what
Was meant to be. 

I remember
You helped me, be me. 

Now, I help others
Be better. 

Together, 
We change the world. 

You live on
In our acts of betterment.
 
I am forever grateful, 
Thank you for the re-spark. 

In Ignited Remembrance,
- PJ