"Big Shoes to Fill"

I had the opportunity to meet one of my blog readers yesterday, at Dennis' memorial service. Among the subsets of guests at yesterday's event were the local bloggers. It was like a family reunion of Hocobloggers. Dennis was our brother, our father, one of us--only bigger and better of course, because he was Dennis.

And so Mr. Schwarz, referencing a post by TJ Mayotte of Rocket Powered Butterfly, said, "you have big shoes to fill."

He didn't mean me, personally. He meant that we, as a blogging community, now have the responsibility to step in and take up the work Dennis has done.

"I think we're going to have to tag-team it," I said. He nodded.

We both knew that all of us together couldn't make up for the writing of that one, wonderful man.

"Go where Dennis would go, do what Dennis would do."

In the shock of losing someone who ought to have been granted so much more of life, we look at ourselves. What will we do with the life we are so lucky to keep on living? It is the same life we had yesterday, and the day before, but now it is different. It is different because now we want to give a piece of it to someone whose loss changes the world for us.

Shock fades over time, sadness lessens. The overwhelming weight of the life we keep on living lightens. It becomes easier and easier to live the same old life without challenging ourselves to do more. But if you don't allow yourself to be moved and changed by love, how alive can you really be?

We'll need to tag-team it. To keep ourselves honest, to keep ourselves alive. And you, as readers, may need to remind us from time to time.

It's about exploration and the joy of discovery. About shining a light so others may find their way. Allowing ourselves to be moved and changed by love.

hocoblogs@@@