The Brightest Light

Sacrifices, originally uploaded by reasonenoughtocelebrate.

With every moment I've spent with you since last weekend, I find myself discovering just how much I not only love you -- but how much I have missed you.

You were such a crucial part in who I have become. You were such a crucial part in who all of us have become. You are one of those friends who is life-changing and everlasting... the biggest light in the darkest of places. A light I've known the beauty of for almost eight years now.

Two years passed so slowly and so quickly at the same time.

But to sit in the pew of your church today, to watch you give the message you did -- to all of those who have loved you and prayed for you for these past two years -- to see the man that you have become... Truly does make me realize the beauty of life and God's plan for all of us. You are the shining example of what any boy in that church should only strive to be. You have done exactly what has been asked of you and done it with more honor and love and humility than anyone I have ever encountered.

I realized something that I know, deep down, I already knew.

Watching you today and watching those emotions and words pour out of you -- I cannot question for a moment the fact that life is not accidental. You were placed in my life, in our lives, for a reason. You were given to us for a purpose we may not even fully understand even today. Maybe not ever.

All I know is that when I was sitting in that pew, surrounded by your family, your loved ones -- as we all watched you give the most beautiful message I have ever been blessed enough to have witnessed myself firsthand --

I realized just how honored I am to have

Known you, befriended you, loved you...

And let you go. For two years. Let you out into the world so that they could see how incredible you are. But today I realized just how worth letting you go was. Because with every moment that I found myself missing you these past two years -- it has obviously been a minute that was put towards some of the greatest work of your life.

And with each minute you were gone, I realized it was another minute where somewhere, out in Idaho, someone else was discovering the incredible individual you have become.

I have never been more proud of anyone in my life.
Nor have I ever felt so inspired.