Only Connect

There was terribly sad news from my high-school classmates this week. One of us is not with us anymore. We don't know what was going on with Nate, really, but we know that he had had enough of it, whatever it was; that he cared about his wife and daughters immensely; that he used his energy to make his world a better place using the tools he had at hand.

From Nate's Facebook page, it's clear he had made a larger impact on those around him than maybe he knew. I found him on Facebook about 2 weeks ago, considered sending him a friend request, and then didn't. I thought he might not remember me.

I remembered him. I wish I had sent that.

After a week filled with sad, joyous, and meaningful connections and re-connections with friends and compatriots, I sank into sleep last night grateful for the rich life I have, which is defined in its most essential form in the way E.M. Forster advised: "Only connect."