It’s a very different world we live in, than the world I came to know the first couple of decades of my life. We knew people by meeting them, seeing them, touching them and being touched by them.
In our world now we are able to ‘meet’ people without ever being within the same building, county, state, continent.
We come to look forward to goods news, great thoughts and funny moments.
We share world’s with people who will never be in our physical world.
So it was with Zach.
I read of a young man named Zach Sobiech a few short months ago. I fell in love with a song. His song. A beautiful song. Sadly, or maybe not so sadly, he wrote it as he lived with cancer. He was young. Young. Young. Seventeen when I first learned of him. He turned 18 just a very short time ago. I fell in love with his out look, attitude and his family and friends. I never knew them. Never met them. But I looked forward to each new event he celebrated. And each update his mother sent out.
Until today.
Today I read the notification that he has passed.
And the first thought I had as tears came to my eyes were “clouds”.
And sand castles.
Friendship.
Faith.
Family.
And through it all.
Love.
How do I get so much from someone I never met?
His music.
Immediately my heart filled with grief.
But I heard his music.
And I followed his story through his music and his mother’s words in her updates.
My sympathies to the Sobiech family and friends. I believe in their faith and their love. And I’m thankful they shared it with us.
May the angels surround them all and they feel the soft breeze of the fluttering wings loving them through this time. It’s not a soft wind you feel, but the power of his love flowing around you.
This is one of the joys and sorrows of our internet age. I’m glad it gave you the opportunity to meet an unique individual who touched your life. RIP Zach
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I can’t believe how touched I was by his story, his music, and his mom. Looking at his family and friend’s faces through out all of their videos and stories was so touching. RIP.
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Makes my heart bleed.
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I know what you mean. It truly does.
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Because he touched your life, you touch ours. I will never understand why bad things happen so often to good people.
My condolences, Chatter Master.
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Aw Koji. Thanks. I’m quite a sentimental fool. But this was so incredibly touching. And real. They shared so much with the world. I wish the world could comfort them in return. Thank you Koji.
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Oh no…so young. Thank you for this lovey, heartbreaking, homage.
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You’re welcome Paulette. It’s so rewarding to see such love and faith played out in our world today. Any day. They shared theirs with us.
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Not everyone can love anybody – and you are one of the special people that do love people far and wide. I am sure that you have left your mark on life of Zach and his family. Peace and blessings to Zach, his family and to you as well as his friends close and dear, far and wide.
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This was one of those ‘one way’ relationships. I absorbed all they put out there for us. I know, from their posts and their shares, that they appreciate all of the love people send them. So I know they feel the love. I think they have something powerful to share, they did, and I am lucky to have come across it. Thank you so much.
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Cancer is a demon. Life is so unfair .. when children and youth has to die.. far too early. Such a touching and beautiful post … thanks for this beautiful post and a wonderful song.
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Wasn’t it wonderful? He wrote quite a few. If you ‘google’ his name it will bring up other songs. I really liked “Sand Castles” and “Fix Me Up”.
Cancer is a wicked demon.
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Colleen, it’s an evil demon too.
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Amen Viveka. I know you know this more than I do.
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I’m very sorry you lost a friend, his music is amazing.
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His music is what brought me to his story.
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i believe it!
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I have just read that post three times while listening to the song twice.
What a beautifully tragic story.
I can feel your sorrow which is another powerful example of how an attachment can be made from one screen to another.
The song had a simplistic beauty to it, thank you for sharing
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You’re welcome Steven. I was so drawn to his music and his family. I can’t imagine their sorrow at this time. Even though they fully celebrated his life and his talents, saying goodbye is full of sorrow.
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I’m sorry to hear about Zach’s recent passing. I, too, hope that grace and mercy will abound over his family. Thank you for sharing his inspirational story with us. In a way, you alongside of many others, are keeping his memory alive.
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You say that so beautifully Anka. I have been listening to his music for a couple of months now and I smile listening to it. He truly left a wonderful gift for his family and friends.
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It’s really true that we are connecting with more and more people, often feeling a sense of intimacy with people we’ve never met personally. It’s quite lovely, and yet opens us up to feeling a little lost when we hear really sad news. I think it’s whole new emotional terrain we don’t yet know how to navigate. Zach was undoubtedly a very special young man, and his passing is so ridiculously untimely! So, so sorry.
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“Ridiculously untimely!” exactly. My heart truly aches for his loved ones. In one of his interviews he said he feels sorry for those left behind, because they are the ones having to deal with it, not him. Pretty smart kid, and pretty loving for knowing to leave the gifts he did, to help them.
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It is incredibly sad to hear that this young man’s life was cut so short. He had a wonderful gift in his musical talent. Breaks my heart…so sorry.
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I hope people look up more of his music. I’m so sorry as well. Thank you Heartafire. I would think a soul of music needs us to feel his music, as much as we need him/them to create it.
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For some reason the sound isn’t working on my computer so I couldn’t hear the music but I saw the message loud and clear. I can see why you were so moved. It truly is amazing how wrapped up I have found myself in people’s lives that I have never physically met. I have always been emotionally wrapped up in books and I have found ones that I never wanted to end. Now with finding blogging I have found myself wrapped up in blogs. I get worried when I don’t see a post from someone in a while. These are my books now and I don’t ever want them to end!
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Exactly!!!
You can go to YouTube and google Zach Sobiech and many of his songs will come up. I also like the version of “Clouds” that PS22 did, loved it.
I have found myself wondering about many a blogger or commenter who has not posted as well. I know, because I sit at a keyboard, that there are real people sharing and reading.
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I have never heard of Zach. Thank you for sharing his love and beauty so I now know about him and his spirit. Such a sad, heartbreaking story, yet it’s filled with the joy of life, too.
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It is truly heart breaking. I’ve watched so many videos and interviews and read stories…. his entire family and friend support system seems to be something beautiful. Something we should all strive to have and to be.
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Tihs made me so thankful to have gotten to know you Colleen. I would never have known about this boy. I listened to his song a dozen times and I do believe he was wise beyond his years. I will be thinking of his family for some time that is for sure. I hope his cloud riding is amazing.
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Oh LexiesNana! I love that! “his cloud riding is amazing”. What a wonderful thing to hope for. 🙂
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My gosh, living with cancer, being that young, and writing that song, delivering it. Astonishing. What a gift, is that song.
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That song just makes me feel good. Sad, at moments, like when I see his mom’s face. But it is a great gift of love.
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I read the story today … and he was so young …but he touched many people it seems. And that is the part of him that will live on.
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I believe so too Katie. I just love his music. And his spirit.
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Oh my word. This brought tears to my eyes. Yes, he was so young. What a beautiful post in tribute to him. Thanks colleen.
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You’re welcome Lisa, I’m so glad he and his family were willing to share.
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I really like how you honor various people. It is just wonderful.
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So many different people have impacts on my emotions. I’m an eclectic people appreciator I guess.
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Love that! Eclectic people appreciator. 🙂
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🙂
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You’re welcome. He really got to me as well.
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