Remembering Charles

Attended the funeral of my cousin Charles a little while ago. While it is sad to lose someone so young (he was only 51, same age as my own brother) and so suddenly, never-the-less, while I listened to what other people said about him and the things I remembered from the times we spent and the conversations we had, all I could think was, "He really lived."

Charles was a scholar, an outdoorsman, an environmentalist, a wonderful photographer, a world traveler, a poet, a beloved son and brother and uncle... and... so much more. Really, isn't that how we all would like to be known? As someone who took life and lived every minute of it. I know I would. Our world is richer for his having been in it and we are richer for having known him.

Veechnaya Pamyat - Eternal Memories, Charles. Thanks for enriching my life.