For a friend...

I was faced with the painful task of speaking the words that people would remember my grandfather by... standing up in front of a crowded room, pain gripping at my heart, and having one last chance to say to the world what this man meant to me... and what kind of person he was.

I was the one who was going to give light to his legacy one final time.

How was I supposed to do that? It wasn't possible to even *try* to show a room full of friends, family members, and strangers the lasting imprint on my heart that I received from him, for it was special and unique... just the way the imprints on their hearts that he gave to them were indescribable.

How was I to tell others how much he meant to me... when I was still in shock and pain, and didn't even realize the magnitude of his impact on my life... until the day he went away?

How was I supposed to comfort others, and be the pillar of guidance at such a sad time when I couldn't even find comfort for myself?

In the midst of it all, when I couldn't quite figure out what to say without choking up in front of everyone, I came across a poem...

In it was the comfort I needed in that difficult time.

It became the words that I would speak that would sum up his legacy.

I hope you can find comfort in it as well...