In Memory of Animal

[Morgeruat]

Originally posted by Melusine: Oh yes, so every stupid kid can spam to "get the Animal" - sorry, is it just me who finds the idea a little crass? Oh, we need a new avatar anyway for higher ranks, why not use Animal, and everybody can post a lot of spam to reach it. What's wrong with a memorial page? It would be a far better tribute if people actually stopped posting crap as if nothing happened, if only for a mere day or so, otherwise this is just another thread among many. But I don't think this is the right place or time for such a discussion, sorry.

Melusine, this is why I suggested keeping the number of posts that avatar would be available low, I think 40 is a good range personally, a spammer would be past it so quickly it wouldn't matter, and those that knew and honor him would give him a "moment of silence" so to speak upon reaching the avatar.

[Elif Godson]

we can only hope that in our own passing other's will remember us this fondly. God Speed your soul to heaven and may the light put a smile back on your face.

[Melusine]

Originally posted by johnny: Show some respect for crying out loud, this is not the thread to argue about stupid little issues.

I fully agree, which is why I apologised. You are right to say this is not the thread to argue about such things and even though I already said that, I did it myself and will not any further.

Cerek, I was not angry, you should stop jumping to conclusions.
Everybody wants a piece of the action, it seems. Let's show some respect, as Johnny said. I think a discussion is the last thing we need.

[Morgeruat]

Originally posted by Melusine: Cerek, I was not angry, you should stop jumping to conclusions.

The tone of your message was incredibly hostile, My interpretation, as well as that of apparently more than just Cerek and myself, was that you were angry, or at least very upset.

[Aelia Jusa]

I remember pming Animal once because I was so impressed with how strong and steadfast he was when many people disagreed with his opinions. I had also always had so much respect for how he seemed to approach raising his daughter.

I can't begin to imagine what it is like for his little girl now, so I will just think of her, and try not to take my own life for granted. But I don't know. How do you do that? What should I be doing? Is this is waste of time?

[Hivetyrant]

Originally posted by Aelia Jusa: and try not to take my own life for granted. But I don't know. How do you do that? What should I be doing? Is this is waste of time?

I agree, its so hard to go on living without forgetting that unfortunantly there is always the possibility of something bad happenening and it is only when we REALLY think about it that we realise how lucky we are to be here.
And im glad Animal got his message out as it has given me alot to think about [img]smile.gif[/img]

Oh and Mel, I'm sorry if I sounded harsh in my reply, but I too thought you were either angry or upset in your posr

[mistral4543]

I don't think I had the privilege of getting to know Animal, but this doesn't diminish the sense of loss that I feel when I came across this news.

[Cloudbringer]

Aelia, that's a good question and one I've pondered alot since the night he told me he had terminal cancer. Strange that we have to stop and think about not taking life for granted, isn't it? I mean we go through our days, doing what we need to- work, school, shopping, cooking, parties with friends, whatever it is we do. But how many of us stop and think of things like the simple fact that we have the ABILITY to do those things? How often do we just take things for granted? I think that was Animal's final message to us.

So in my life now, I stop to really appreciate the little hugs with my husband, or a friend. The fact that we have each other is a blessing in my life- Animal's passing and the fact that he was so young and had so much he still wanted to achieve.. well it makes me appreciate everything about my life more than I had before. The little things are important, they really are.

Tell your spouse, friend, mother, brother, anyone who is special in your life, that you love them. [img]graemlins/ladyhearts.gif[/img]

Help a friend move, invite a neighbor for dinner, take your kids to the park even though you might prefer to play NWN or go to the pub. Stop and think about how the little things you do or don't do can mean alot to others.

Bungleau, that is so nice that you spent the time with your daughter...I like to think that is truly what Animal's message was all about. Don't take anything for granted, you OR the other people in your life, may not be there tomorrow.

[philip]

I'll heed to "don't take life for granted" Rest in peace!

[harleyquinn]

I too pondered that same question, of HOW to live life to the fullest after Rachel died. I can tell you what I've done, which doesn't mean it'll work for everyone, but may give you some ideas.

First -- I had to give myself time to grieve. Even after her funeral, I still found there were times where I would just sit down and cry and curse the world for the injustice of allowing bad people to live while allowing a child to die.

Second -- Once the anger and hurt was lessened (I don't think it'll ever be 100% gone) and I could be at piece with thinking of her up in heaven playing pranks on others with the aid of our Great Grandma and Aunts and Uncles up there, I reflected on what her Aunt said at the funeral -- "Try to decide how Rachel touched your life and pass it on".
I thought about that and decided that she was sick and a child, yet she found time to volunteer her time and help others, so I, as a healthy adult could definitely do that. I started searching online for volunteer opportunities (here the United Way has a site of thousands of postings for volunteers, if you're interested, ask around, see if your community has something similar). At first nothing seemed to stick, then I saw that my local childrens hospital was looking for volunteers. I remembered how much the volunteers at her hospital had meant to her when she was sick and decided that was a great fit for me since I love kids. So now, every Tuesday night, for 2 hours, I do nothing but play. The kids are from ages 0-21, and some are shy, some have no interest in playing, and others are thrilled to get to be a kid instead of a sick kid for a few hours.

Last Tuesday, after reading about Animal, I was at the hospital and while there, my first "kid" was an 8 month old. We aren't told why the kids are there unless we have to know, which is good, I think it helps us just look at them as kids. Anyway, I rocked that baby and sang to her, and she, being a baby, cooed and smiled and gave me a baby punch in my nose and I thought, the world can't be all that bad, even though we lost a dear friend, there is this little angel here to make us laugh again.

So, my suggestion to those not sure what to do, is first, give yourself time to grieve. You may even be in shock right now and it won't hit you for a little while. After you are more at ease, then figure out what Mark's life meant to you and what you could do to "pass it on". Be it taking your child out for a special day once a month, or volunteering, or just loving those around you more, or being more forgiving, or trying new things without looking back, that's really a personal decision, but if you can find a way to make a positive impact, then the spirit of Animal will live on.