Buddy I wish you coulda been there...

So I just got in from Adrian's memorial service at UT's memorial pond. It was a surreal experience. If you had told me a year ago, a month ago, or even a couple weeks ago that we would be there, grieving our collective loss... I wouldn't have believed you. I think Dr. Salinas said it best when she said, "He's the last person I would have expected this to happen to. When he (Adrian) went to New York to teach I thought, 'well of course you would, you've done everything else...'" And he had...

It's been amazing how many of you out there Adrian has touched. So much so that this blog has gotten around 10 times more hits over the last week or so than it had gotten since I first began writing. This only goes to prove how many people literally around the world are searching for answers in the wake of his death. Today was more of the same.

There were so many people there. Which I suppose shouldn't have come as any sort of surprise but it sort of seemed like this thing had been thrown together quickly. So how could any sort of word have gotten out about it? Nevertheless, I'd say 50+ people showed up to pay their respects.

It was a fairly somber affair as one would expect. But I couldn't help but think what if... What if Adrian could have seen how many people were there? What if he could have heard them talk about how even those that barely knew him were touched just by meeting him? What if he could've seen how many of us UTeach kids showed up and reconnected over our common loss? What if he could see how many people are searching the web for any shred of information about him and his death? Would it make a difference? Would he feel any different about his life? It's impossible to know. Just like it's impossible to wrap your mind around the fact that he isn't just out traveling the world or doing something great... He's gone, forever.

So many of us miss our friend, mentor and teacher.
So many of us are looking for answers.
So many of us grieve.

Adrian, I only wish you had known just how loved you were.... Just how loved you are.

Lastly-
For all those out there grieving the loss: Say something sarcastic today. Adrian would be proud of you for it.