2/4/14
It’s funny how
life is. I took a book by a young girl dying of thyroid cancer to start me on
this journey of recording my thoughts and feeling. I do this for my daughter
Emma, she has become my world. She has embraced all the things I love reading,
Dr. Who, Supernatural and other things that involve being a “Geek”. Back in my
day “The 70’s” us geeks had to hide in our basements, playing “Dungeons and
Dragons”. We were not acceptable. But this past weekend, I tagged along with my
daughter to the book release celebration for “This Star Won’t Go Out”, a book
that is a collection of Journal entries by Esther Earl. It is one of the
funniest, heartwarming and gut wrenching books I have ever read. Esther was
taken from us way too soon by that bastard Cancer. But she crammed in a hell of
a lot of living in the 14 years she spent on the planet.
I love my
children dearly; both Emma and Luke have exceeded my expectations. They may be
only 15 and 14 years old but they are wise to the ways of the world. Their Mom
needed a break from the marriage when they were 4 and 3 years old and sent me
packing. I’ve never returned because she won’t let me. In some strange way I
still love her and probably always will.
After all she is the mother to my two children.
But the years
that I missed of them growing up on a daily basis haunts me even now. I lost
out on the day to day things that are so formative in growing up, but they are
good kids. Anyways back to this past weekend and the book release.
Emma has been
very active with a group called the “Nerdfighters” it seems that a lot of the
kids that she is associated with are also part of this movement “to prevent
World Suck”. The Boston Whovians, The Boston Nightvale Coalition, and the kids
from Grubb Street all are part of the “Nerdfighters” It was through this group
that I first learn of Esther Earl and her battle with cancer after she was
taken from us. Emma was excited when she learn of this local book release
celebration and asked if we could go. Of course I had time to save the money
for the tickets and they were very inexpensive. For $30.00 we got two tickets
and a copy of the book.
I thought that
it would be a shake your hand, get your book signed and off you went. But it
wasn’t, I was in store for a huge surprise. This celebration was live streaming
to the world via The Vlog Brothers, there were musical performances by Harry
and The Potters, readings of the book by Esther’s sisters and a Q & A
period by Esther’s parents. Never in my life have I met nicer kids than this
group that had gathered to celebrate the book. The love that was in the air was
electric. People had come from all over the country to be here. But it was the
final song by Harry and The Potters that had me in tears. The band had invited
everyone on stage to gather around the piano and sing a song for Esther. It was
a moving experience, it moved me so that I bought my own copy of the book. After all was said and done I dropped Emma of
at her house and went home. The next 18 hours was spend reading this book. I
haven’t done that for years.
From what I
experienced that night and the book that I read, I do not have any fear for the
future. If these kids are representatives of the people who will be in charge
someday there is no fear. I was blown away. No need to worry about the past
because that is exactly what it is….the past. You can’t do anything about it, but the future
is not written at all. Make the most of it, it took this weekend for me to
learn this. These kids taught me something.
