A Beautiful Mind

The people gathered, some knew one another and others were total strangers coming together only to remember one who was lost far too soon. We came together as a united front to remember one that was a part of our lives, no matter in what fashion. There were friends from childhood and those lovely pre-adulthood years, family friends who adopted this child as one of their own if ever needed, many who had never met but knew the family, and others who were rallied together in a united front, brought together by such a tragic event to help console a family during its worst possible time.

Soft and kind words were spoken by many – others of frustration and anger towards the unjust, again, some known and some newly introduced under the worst of circumstances. The remembering moments of one so young, full of all of life’s ambitions, ready to take on the world and not stop to ask for directions.

Times were spoken of the earliest of memories, those both great and saddened, many mentioned who were affected by this maddening event, those closest, those as acquaintances, though none were listed in any specific hierarchy nor deemed insignificant by the one lost forever more.

Voices crackled, tears shed and hearts in unison were broken, sharing, and remembering a small portion of one’s journey in life cut off just as it was beginning to blossom. The perfect ideal selfie, the timeless moments of “I will be ready when…”, then many moments later finally being ready to take on the world, with a beautiful smile, effervescent personality, and charismatic charm.

Soon began nature’s wrath as it pelt the rain down upon the building, the skies roared and the lightning flashed as we all gathered in to remember a soul ripped from this plane. Everyone felt the strength of the rain pouring down as tears shed from the faces dealing with this unimaginable and chaotic moment.

The rain poured down as the tears fell, many looked upon one another in almost disbelief as we all sat and experienced the same moment but in different ways. Many knew what we were experiencing even if some were lost, denying, and skeptical, sometimes a way of keeping in touch is just as simple as hearing nature at its finest and this day she growled and howled with intensity to be shown as a force of nature. One undefeated, even in death as the pursuit of joy, rage, disgust, happiness, sadness, grief, loss, gratitude, and love would triumph in the end.

I sat. I watched. I listened. I remembered. I cried, much harder than I imagined I would – not due to disrespect but due to what I could only describe as uncontrollable rage as to how we have lost someone so brilliant, so self-aware and so humane. I wept for those who were closer, the shoes I could be in at any day, those of a dear friend, one that never judged, complained, or belittled – only there to help support those closest in life. The children, the family, the friends who were family.

And at the end, an enormous rainbow appeared one that was not foretold. Within that moment, I knew she heard our cries, our sorrows, and our sadness. I walked out after the services ended and knew that she was heard, I could feel it, I could breathe it and I felt it. This symbolized what we had shared, loved, and lost. Even if only I saw this, others would know, she was there, she was with us. She understood she knew we remembered, she knew we would not forget and would not fold.

• The best people in life are free.