A song written by a mentor of mine for a mother who suddenly lost her young adult son. Feel free to hit play and listen to it as you read the post.
Today Gainesville mourned the lost of one of its own. Josh Greenberg was one of the best, one of the brightest, one of the most loving, one of the most curious, one of the great leaders, one of the great listeners, one of the legends. A 28 year old legend.
He unexpectedly passed away last weekend. Right now the cause of death is still unknown. So far foul play, suicide, and drugs have all been ruled out. It's a mystery. He had posted a nothing inparticular post on Facebook at 8:30, and he was found at 9pm. His girlfriend said that when she found him, he looked like he was sleeping. How could this happen to a seemingly healthy young guy? It's moments like this when you just throw your hands up in disbelief and say 'it's just so crazy' over and over again. All week Gainesville has been saying 'It's just unreal... how could this happen to our Josh?' I'd only met him in passing maybe once or twice, but I quickly understood his impact on the community as news spread on Monday morning of his passing. People from all different areas of my life were talking about it and totally shocked. We still are.
Hundreds came out to celebrate his life today. People flew in from all over the country. Seats in every row of the Phillips Center at the University of Florida were taken to honor the co-founder of Grooveshark, MaidSuite, and who knows how many other companies. For three years in a row, he was on Forbes' "30 under 30" list for people in the music industry. He has so many awards and recognitions that it's impossible to recall them all. Today the Chamber, the City, and the Cade Museum all announced special memorials and dedications for Josh.
We were reminded today that matter turns to energy and energy to matter and the ongoing cycle never ends, so instead of being gone, his energy has become part of us. He was into science and engineering, you know, so this was perfect. We were reminded today that few achieve in a full lifetime what he achieved in a decade. We were reminded today of the huge impact he's had on our community. We were reminded today that he lived in the way we all know we *should* live, but never manage to do. He was an instant friend with a warm, genuine smile and the best listener around. He always made time for others and always chose to be happy, whether he was at the peak of his career or in the pits of it and being sued for billions. He meditated. He loved openly. He was a mentor. He gave back to the community. He was humble. We were reminded today to go out and actually live like we should live, like Josh actually did.
It seems that over and over again life throws this message our way and we sieze it and promise that we'll be better about it, but we manage let that enthusiasm slip away.
One of the first times I was truly struck by someone who actually lived in the manner that we all intend to was another celebration of life ceremony that I photographed about two years ago. What I learned about forgiveness, loving those around you openly, and choosing happiness had such an impact on me. I admit that I made all kinds of promises to myself and then over time they passed into memory and, again, I let them slip away.
The most recent time I was reminded of the delicate nature of life was just a few months ago. My boyfriend at the time and I had a puppy (well, he had a puppy and shared her with me). She was five months old and seemingly healthy. Her siblings had gone off to organizations like the Secret Service and FBI. She was incredibly smart and we liked to think she was one in a million. The Wonderdog. We each took her to work, took her to meetings all over town, walked her for miles each day, spent hours training her, and so many people met her along the way. One afternoon shesuddenly showed signs that she wasn't feeling well. 90 minutes later we were saying goodbye. This young dog had helped us to love and helped us work together. She forced us to communicate better and set us to a single goal of raising her and training her into the best possible dog she could be. We had big plans for this little girl. Then one day in less than an hour and a half, she was gone. Again I was reminded of the fragility of life. And again I made all kinds of promises to myself, and again over time I have let some of them slip away.
The shock at losing this puppy was unreal for us and is the closest thing that either one of us could equate with losing a child. That said, it's obviously a world away from having to lay your child to rest, but what we learned was that the feeling of losing someone young with so much potential is much different from losing a loved one (human or otherwise) that is elderly and has lived a full life or that has suffered from a disease for a long time and the passing is expected. A sudden loss like that forces you to see that biology is fragile. All the plans, hopes, goals, and dreams can be gone in an instant because of a simple mechanical mishap in the body that no one has any control over. In a moment, what you cling to is gone and the map in front of you is dust. You are lost. It seems unfair. How do you find yourself? How do you draw a new map?
To let go of those plans, hopes, goals, and dreams is SO hard. I cannot begin to imagine what Josh's family, close friends, business partners and girlfriend must be feeling. There is just no way to wrap my mind around it. There is no way for me to understand how on earth they are getting through each day without him beside them. His potential was so huge, he was so kind, and he was just so young. It was such a surprise. I simply can't imagine. There are no words to describe what they must be experiencing right now, and will continue to experience as they go on without him.
Over and over again today, we were encouraged to be his legacy. Continue to build the community he was on the path to building, and choose to live life knowing that it is fragile. Opt for joy. Live with an open heart. Make time. Meditate. Pay it forward. Be who you have the potential to be, but stay humble.
As we as a community attempt to draw a new map and find a way to continue blazing the path he started, let us not lose our enthusiasm. How many times must we suffer a tragedy to be reminded that life is a fragile gift before we finally start LIVING it like we know we should? Do it now. Hold on tight and don't let go of the moment you DECIDED to really live. Keep that close to your chest and run with it.
Sam Tarantino - Co-founder of Grooveshark with Josh
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