My heart is so heavy and I know many feel tremendous loss, whether you knew him or just admired his gifts in Second Life. I think those who were blessed to know him were better people for having had that blessing. These last days and weeks surely have been beyond difficult, horrific really, for his close friends, partner and beloved family.

As for me, I was hesitant to show my own grief publicly for fear of diluting what’s inside me. But ultimately, he knows how I feel. What can I even say about someone who made my Second Life - and as our friendship grew, my Real Life - so much more special? How do you say goodbye to someone whom you never hugged physically but whom you looked up to and spent so much time talking to in this strange place? How do I properly show love for a friend whom I miss so much? I suppose, there is no one way. You just do what you can - think of what he might have wanted you to do - and be grateful to have had the experiences you did, however short.

If you weren’t lucky enough to really know him, then you might not know that he was one of the most generous people you could hope to meet. Generous, devilishly funny, so bright and so sharp a wit it was truly startling, and so very eager to please. You might not know that he took criticism to heart even though friends told him he shouldn’t. He did and there was surely no shortage of criticism - and sadly, probably still isn’t. He strove - literally tirelessly - to make people’s second lives a little better with his work, but yet, the ways he touched my life (and so many others) were far more profound than what he created in Second Life.

Not long ago, I was looking at his profile because I missed him. There weren’t many days that I didn’t talk to him about one thing or another. Stupid things and then not so light too. I found this passage on friendship in his profile picks and it very simply offers a glimpse inside a soul. Funny I had missed it until then…

“Second Life has been such an interesting experience for me. In any life, regardless of who you are and what you do, there will be those who love you and those who hate you. Every lesson learned is valuable and I’m a big enough person to admit I’ve made mistakes. But I’ve learned from them and after the very tough last two years in RL, it was proven to me time and time again that the friendships we are sometimes lucky enough to make in SL really can translate into RL. I don’t open up often to people - but I thank my friends in here, the ones who had patience to stick around and get to know me. Each of you is such a gift and a blessing. And I feel like a better person for just knowing you all. <3 All we have at the end of the day are the days that we’ve spent and the lessons they offer us for our wanderings tomorrow. <3″

Like an echo…

I miss you. Thank you for your friendship.

All my heart,

Gillian