He Shines...

Ever since Tyler passed, I've been contacted by various people he knew who are wanting to share their 'Tyler experience' with me. There are common themes in all their stories. One is how much he loved me, his big sister. Tyler and I were very fortunate in our relationship for many reasons, but the most important was we always knew how significant we were to each other. There were never any doubts on either side. He was such an incredible source of light in my life. If you're reading this and you have siblings that you're not really close with, but you wish you could be closer, don't wait for tomorrow. Make the effort today.

Another common theme is how kind and thoughtful Tyler was. I heard from the younger brother of a good friend of mine from high school. Their family lived around the corner from us for several years. I did not know the impact Tyler had on Chris until he shared some thoughts he had after Tyler passed away. He's two years younger than Ty and we all know that can be a huge gap in high school. Chris felt like Tyler treated him as an equal, in spite of the age difference. He said Ty was both and mentor and friend. Chris has a deep passion for photography and he told me Tyler was the person who first sparked that interest. I could go on in my own words, but I think it's best to let his words take it from here...

"Whenever we would run into each other, it was like no time had passed...always joking, always laughing. You don't know how much people influence your life until you take stock of how you've become the person you are. Tyler did that for me. He really made me realize that life is so short and we have to be ourselves every minute, with no time for hate and regret. I am truly grateful that I got to know Tyler over the years. He was a unique, caring, funny and thoughtful individual."

My mom told me recently that every time she and Ron see a sunset now, they think of Tyler smiling down on them. It's a perfect analogy, really. He was a great source of beauty and light for many in life, and we continue to feel his energy and warmth long after his life faded.