Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Shocking Goodbye

It's not that I was a huge fan. It's just that I love to see people clearly living the life they were meant to live. Which is why last night, I stood shocked with my hand over my mouth as I tried to understand why the radio announcer was putting the words together in such a strange string... "Heath Ledger... dead at the age of 28." Not THAT Heath? What? Oh dear God! Why? Why did such a light get extinquished? And 28? That just seems so wrong. So heartbreaking.

Today I read a quote of another person I admire. Another person living life to the fullest. Johnny Depp. This is what he had to say about dying:

"I don't think anybody's necessarily ready for death. You can only hope that when it approaches, you feel like you've said what you wanted to say. Nobody wants to go out in mid-sentence."

Mr. Ledger definitely left mid-sentence. Far too soon for those of us who were not ready to let go of such a talented person, huge fans or not. And little Matilda... he obviously loved her with his whole heart. There was joy dancing in his eyes when he carried her on his shoulders. So sad...

I don't even want to mention reality checks or hoping that this will shock others to be careful. I think there's enough of that going on in the speculations of his final days and hours. It's tremendously more important to note that he lived. Really, truly, actually lived. Every moment. That may be the only solace the world has now that this one glorious human is gone. That he seemed like the kind of person that would be alive and vibrant in even the smallest moments of life. Making this quietus all the more tristful.

Goodbye, Mr. Ledger. Thank you. For your art. For your passion. For really living.

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