Joel
I arrived back in Seoul Sunday, only to get some terrible news on Tuesday. My dear friend Joel was taken from this life without warning Monday morning. Joel and I had some wonderful times together before I came to Korea. Joel is a very giving man, a wonderful musician, and could be a bit scatter-brained at times (he knows it). Joel is very much loved and already tremendously missed by more people than I can count. My heart goes out to his family and friends, who lost him way too soon. I know he's in a better place with his mom and impatient to move onto the next thing. He has a fiercely strong and independent spirit and laughed at my corny, over-the-top jokes. I chatted with him online shortly before leaving for Australia. He seemed happy and as always, wished me well on what he considered to be "the coolest trip he's ever heard of". He always started the conversation with "Hey lady" and I'll miss it.
Joel rockin' out. I told you he was a great musician. He could imitate a song on the guitar or piano just by hearing it once. He secretly dreamed of being a rock star (well, maybe not so secretly)
Joel and I in Cancun, Mexico for his friends' wedding (Corey and Mandy). We had a fantastic night. The best club ever-we agreed. Coco Bongo.
At my cousin Heidi and his brother Brian's wedding in Destin, Florida, May 2005. He was the best man and I was the maid of honor.
Joel will be fondly thought of often by many people, including me.
Joel rockin' out. I told you he was a great musician. He could imitate a song on the guitar or piano just by hearing it once. He secretly dreamed of being a rock star (well, maybe not so secretly)
Joel and I in Cancun, Mexico for his friends' wedding (Corey and Mandy). We had a fantastic night. The best club ever-we agreed. Coco Bongo.
At my cousin Heidi and his brother Brian's wedding in Destin, Florida, May 2005. He was the best man and I was the maid of honor.Joel will be fondly thought of often by many people, including me.
posted by Shannon at 7:13 PM
2 Comments:
This is a very sweet tribute to Joel, Shanny. A very important part of our lives has been stolen from us, but I don't want the horrible circumstances to take away from our many wonderful memories of him. Joel was an incredibly smart, talented, funny, sweet person and we'll miss him forever. Love, Cousin Heidi
Hi Shannon - I know this is a horrible tragedy and difficult thing to deal with. I admittedly didn't know Joel very well, having only the chance to meet him on a handful of occasions, but I know that he was important to you, and as evidenced by the many postings about him, to many other people as well. He sounded like an incredible person, and as in the famous lyrics, "the love you take is equal to the love you make", it saddened many people to lose him, even if only from this life. I happened to find a poem that I thought was very fitting by a lady named Ellen Brenneman:
His Journey's Just Begun
Don't think of him as gone away--
his journey's just begun
life holds so many facets
this earth is only one.
Just think of him as resting
from the sorrows and the tears
in a place of warmth and comfort
where there are no days and years.
Think how he must be wishing
that we could know today
how nothing but our sadness
can really pass away.
And think of him as living
in the hearts of those he touched...
for nothing loved is ever lost--
and he was loved so much.
It became apparent to me after seeing so many touching comments about Joel just how many people's lives he touched in this world. Hopefully we all can same the same when our turn comes.
Love,
Your brother, Jeremy.
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