This man was lost.
Not in a poetic, and-now-he's-found way.
Not in a metaphorical, unable-to-find-himself way.
Not in a
directional, can't-get-home way.
In a permanent, not-with-us-on-this-earth-anymore
way.
There are lots of stories about
what happened.
He was troubled. He was
high. He was selfish.
It was intentional. It was planned. It was inconvenient.
But they’re just stories. I don’t believe any of them.
Someday we’ll know. Someday we can try to understand.
But, today, all we can do is guess.
Was he troubled? Was he high?
Was he selfish?
Was it
intentional? Was it planned? Was it an inconvenience?
Who knows.
All I know for sure is that Christopher Wallace was one of the happiest,
most accepting, most talented, most loving men I've ever met.
All I know is that I wish I’d taken the opportunity to get to know him better.
All I know is that Christopher Wallace made my niece her happiest, his
brother-in-law feel accepted, his cousins laugh, and the world think.
All I know is that Christopher Wallace was a
good man,
with a good heart and a contemplative mind.
Regardless of what put him in the state of
mind required to end his life the way he did, Christopher Wallace died
celebrating the cornerstones of his existence – freedom, creativity, and self-expression.
I can only hope that we will all be so lucky.
Rest in peace, Chris.
You made an
impact on your family, your friends, and your community.
You were important. You are loved.
You will be missed.