to Melv

Adrian 'Melv' Melville at our wedding - always ready for a good time

I lost a dear friend of mine recently.
Melv was simply one of the kindest, gentlest, friendliest, most fun loving individuals I may ever know.
The loss of a friend like this can have two effects... it can help you appreciate every day and it can also make you question everything in your life. The period of mourning can be a time of great introspection. I have been able to reflect on the time I got to spend with Melv. I appreciate every day that I got to spend with him and I am so grateful for the life lessons I will take from his life. Stay positive and you can help make those around you more positive. Seek out your own happiness, not at the expense of your loved ones, but with their help and encouragement. Teach your children well by setting a solid example of how to behave, how to love, laugh and enjoy life.
Living each day in his honor is a beautiful tribute to him, but it is also quite difficult as I tend to slip very easily into my habitual behavior which was built around anger, not positivity. Re-teaching myself how to act and react is not easy, but it is something I am committed to. If I have one person think about me what every person that met Melv thought about him, I will have succeeded, not only in making my life better, but in honoring his life.
So, what do I make of this blog? It serves no greater purpose. It doesn't teach anything. It doesn't improve society or the world around me. It doesn't provide reference for people. In this introspective time, I could look at it as a giant waste of time and energy. But my purpose (in life, if not this blog) is to entertain. My marketable skills are few and far between, but I have always been able to make people laugh. I hope to do that here. I hope you see the anger as a bit tongue-in-cheek, though I will take this opportunity to admit that I actually put my tongue in my cheek every time I say that phrase to try and understand what it means, but I do not. Anyone?
If I can make people laugh, that makes me happy. So if you will please excuse my indulgence as I try to do that here... maybe not here in this particular post since I've gone all serious on you here, but here nonetheless. (Um, nonetheless? Another one I use too much for not having a full grasp on it's actual meaning).
I hope you knew Melv. If you did, you know that his death was a tragic loss to the world. We lost a beacon of positivity and happiness. A friend who always made us smile and feel special. If you didn't know Melv, I hope you know someone that does this for you. I hope you try to emulate that behaviour and be a good person. We lost a lot of good in this world and we all need to step up and fill that void. The emptiness in our hearts may always be there, but appreciating our lives and all we do is the best way to begin to heal.