I knew him in a limited way but even in that narrow window of time and manner, it was apparent that he was a man of good humour and someone who had accomplished much in his life because he loved much.
Hearing the eulogies of people who knew him in various capacities, it was clear G. was a man well respected and thought of with great affection.
Rudyard Kipling's poem If* was a favourite of his and his brother quoted selected excerpts of this poem that G. loved:
"If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;"
"If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;"
"Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!"
It would seem that G. strove to be the man described by Kipling and was a man who desired to be good above all.
I read somewhere that in the past, people aspired to be good, but today, people aspire to be happy.
It's ironic that despite today's almost manic search for happiness (especially when the perceived key to happiness rests on a special someone), there are more love-hungry and unhappy people around for they forsake responsibility, commitment and compassion in order to find their bliss, not realizing that happiness lies in being unselfish and giving.
True loving is not motivated by any gain or fear and is, in its very act, its own reward, yielding its own quiet felicity.
People like G. and his wife A. (who has been a generous and loving friend to me) inspire me with their innate goodness, generosity and courageous zest for life. I use the word courageous for A. and G. were a couple who never let adversity dampen their spirits. A. is still the face of stoic equanimity despite a difficult time with health, and now G.'s passing.
Life indeed is fleeting and I am reminded to fill "sixty seconds’ worth of distance run" in every "unforgiving minute".
Rest well G. May the fruit of your labour continue to multiply in the many lives you touched.
* http://www.everypoet.com/archive/poetry/Rudyard_Kipling/kipling_if.htm
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