I'm grateful for you, Jay. I've been reading your various columns since I first got into reading black library. You've given so much to the community. Condolences to you and your family.
(Ps I'm already a proud owner of Bjorn, so randomly pick someone else!)
Deleuze once said “you cannot truly love someone if you do not grasp the root of madness within them.” Though you only provided a small glimpse here, it sounds like your wife really grasped that part of you and really saw you.
I was reading a little about Richard Feynman yesterday. When he met his wife as a young man she had incurable (at the time) tuberculosis. They only had a few years together. Several months after she died, he wrote a letter to her. The whole letter is extremely poignant but the last line is what I remember: “You, dead, are better than anyone else alive.” I feel like that really captures how unsubstitutable and irreplaceable a very small number of people can be for us, especially a partner and companion for life.
This is incredibly touching, thank you for sharing it here. Jimi and I definitely knew the root of madness within each other, and it was a hell of a ride as a result. I'll certainly have to look up the full text of the letter, it sounds like an extraordinary story.
Well I’m grateful for your writing. So much in common and so nice to see someone out there as passionate about the books and also the STORIES. I suppose the thing I’m most grateful for is my wife and daughter. It’s like being in a super team with Batman and Superman, knowing you’re Aquaman but still feeling an empowered equal. They get me through so much in the last rough years we have all been facing. My heroes all.
My condolences and thoughts. You are a strong guy and I envy your journey with your wife. You two stomped on Terra.
Thank you so much, Tim, and I love that sentiment about empowered equals. It can definitely feel like the Justice League around here sometimes. I appreciate the kind words! :)
Sorry for your loss, man. Praying for you and your family in this time! I’m grateful for my amazing wife and our new son. Here’s to hoping that years down the road he’ll get to enjoy this community as much as we all do.
Condolences for your loss, from the way you talk about your wife she sounded like a fantastic person. I am grateful for the black library community, I am the only warhammer fan in both my family and friend group, so places like this and the Reddit, are great to talk about this world we all find enjoyment in.
Thank you so very much, she was someone truly special who touched an incredible amount of lives. I didn't even know the half of it until she passed, too, as people reached out to share their stories. I'm glad you've been able to find community online, the Black Library folks really are a blessing for me as well!
The thing I am greatful for has to do with your news anyways, as I am a surgical oncologist I get to help people suffering from cancer, so it is most definitely one of the things I am greatful for.
Words cannot express how I’m sure all of us feel for you right now, but we are here with you in the best of ways. In the words of Sar Af, “It is unbecoming of man to show sorrow at parting, but to be thankful that our paths in life were intertwined for as long as they were.”
I think you already are doing the White Scars proud by cherishing the time you and your wife had together, even though it wasn’t nearly long enough.
That was such a heartfelt tribute to your wife I’m so sorry for your loss. I lost my aunt to something similar and I went through that same feeling of the long fight preparing you for the grief and pain of loss when it finally happened.
On a more upbeat note, I’m grateful I have a friend who was willing to get into warhammer with me and another we were able to coerce in later, it’s been nice to do a consistent black library book club with them
Thank you so much, Zayne, and I am sorry to hear of your loss! I felt like it got me about 80% there, with 20% being the things you really can't prepare for. That's been such a blessing, letting me be present and supportive for our kids without feeling like I have to bottle everything up just to function.
I'm grateful for my incredible friends and family who have supported me for the decade since my mental illnesses worsened in conjunction with having to move to the other side of the country.
Cheesy and cliche perhaps to some, but undeniably true! Indeed, our group of family and friends have been an extraordinary blessing throughout all of this. I can't imagine if I'd had to endure this alone...
I am amazed by your elegant words during your incredible loss. Our thoughts are with you and your family. Unfortunately, I am experiencing similar stuff with my own congestive heart failure. My fight has been a bit longer, but It truly focuses you on the importnat bits, and the time for you loved ones. There is never enough of it. I regret I will not be able to meet Jimi, someone so brave and loved is worth so, so much in this world. Keep giving those hugs, they are so important, and especially when you need one yourself. Take care, and our condolences.
But I am thankful for my wife, who holds my family together, puts up with me, and deals with everything with Love. Like you, I am incredibly lucky!
Thank you so much, Blake, I truly appreciate it. I am sorry to hear of the struggles you and your family are going through as well, and prayers of course for your continued health! You're absolutely right about how it puts a lot in perspective and helps bring out what's truly important. The kids knew their mother loved them right up to the last, and even though her passing was earlier than we'd expected, the time she made for all of us was an incredible gift.
I feel you. I lost my father to lung cancer. His friends told me a lot about him i never knew afterwards. He apparently was a very sad man, and only was happy listening to the music of his youth. And I am very grateful for those memories.
So sorry for your loss. It was a beautiful tribute you wrote for her.
I'm grateful for my mother, she gave me all, and wanted nothing in return.
Thank you very much! My mother has been a tremendous support through all this as well. Here's to the world's incredible mothers! :)
I'm grateful for you, Jay. I've been reading your various columns since I first got into reading black library. You've given so much to the community. Condolences to you and your family.
(Ps I'm already a proud owner of Bjorn, so randomly pick someone else!)
Thank you for the kind words, Andrew, they are truly appreciated!
Deleuze once said “you cannot truly love someone if you do not grasp the root of madness within them.” Though you only provided a small glimpse here, it sounds like your wife really grasped that part of you and really saw you.
I was reading a little about Richard Feynman yesterday. When he met his wife as a young man she had incurable (at the time) tuberculosis. They only had a few years together. Several months after she died, he wrote a letter to her. The whole letter is extremely poignant but the last line is what I remember: “You, dead, are better than anyone else alive.” I feel like that really captures how unsubstitutable and irreplaceable a very small number of people can be for us, especially a partner and companion for life.
This is incredibly touching, thank you for sharing it here. Jimi and I definitely knew the root of madness within each other, and it was a hell of a ride as a result. I'll certainly have to look up the full text of the letter, it sounds like an extraordinary story.
Well I’m grateful for your writing. So much in common and so nice to see someone out there as passionate about the books and also the STORIES. I suppose the thing I’m most grateful for is my wife and daughter. It’s like being in a super team with Batman and Superman, knowing you’re Aquaman but still feeling an empowered equal. They get me through so much in the last rough years we have all been facing. My heroes all.
My condolences and thoughts. You are a strong guy and I envy your journey with your wife. You two stomped on Terra.
Tim
Thank you so much, Tim, and I love that sentiment about empowered equals. It can definitely feel like the Justice League around here sometimes. I appreciate the kind words! :)
Sorry for your loss, man. Praying for you and your family in this time! I’m grateful for my amazing wife and our new son. Here’s to hoping that years down the road he’ll get to enjoy this community as much as we all do.
Thank you so much, Colton, and congratulation on the new arrival. Soak in every moment, it's cliche but true that it goes by so incredibly fast!
Condolences for your loss, from the way you talk about your wife she sounded like a fantastic person. I am grateful for the black library community, I am the only warhammer fan in both my family and friend group, so places like this and the Reddit, are great to talk about this world we all find enjoyment in.
Thank you so very much, she was someone truly special who touched an incredible amount of lives. I didn't even know the half of it until she passed, too, as people reached out to share their stories. I'm glad you've been able to find community online, the Black Library folks really are a blessing for me as well!
Sympathy for your loss, man.
The thing I am greatful for has to do with your news anyways, as I am a surgical oncologist I get to help people suffering from cancer, so it is most definitely one of the things I am greatful for.
Thank you so much, Rakib! That's a tough road to walk and one with a lot of loss, so huge respect to you for walking it!
Words cannot express how I’m sure all of us feel for you right now, but we are here with you in the best of ways. In the words of Sar Af, “It is unbecoming of man to show sorrow at parting, but to be thankful that our paths in life were intertwined for as long as they were.”
I think you already are doing the White Scars proud by cherishing the time you and your wife had together, even though it wasn’t nearly long enough.
I love that sentiment, Jesse, thanks for posting that here. It's definitely what's gotten us through all this, and I appreciate your kind words!
Im very sorry for your loss.
The thing im most grateful for in life is that both of my kids are happy, strong and healthy in every way.
That is certainly something wonderful to be thankful for, and thank you for your kind words!
That was such a heartfelt tribute to your wife I’m so sorry for your loss. I lost my aunt to something similar and I went through that same feeling of the long fight preparing you for the grief and pain of loss when it finally happened.
On a more upbeat note, I’m grateful I have a friend who was willing to get into warhammer with me and another we were able to coerce in later, it’s been nice to do a consistent black library book club with them
Thank you so much, Zayne, and I am sorry to hear of your loss! I felt like it got me about 80% there, with 20% being the things you really can't prepare for. That's been such a blessing, letting me be present and supportive for our kids without feeling like I have to bottle everything up just to function.
I'm grateful for my incredible friends and family who have supported me for the decade since my mental illnesses worsened in conjunction with having to move to the other side of the country.
Thank you for sharing, Liam, I hope you've managed to find some peace and stability, uprooting your life can be an extraordinary challenge!
I am so sorry for your loss. May her memory be a blessing.
I am grateful, as cheesy and clichee it may sound, for family and friends and what connects us all.
Cheesy and cliche perhaps to some, but undeniably true! Indeed, our group of family and friends have been an extraordinary blessing throughout all of this. I can't imagine if I'd had to endure this alone...
Sorry for your loss, and it is good to keep our loved ones in our memory.
I am forever grateful of the opportunities we have in our lives to connect with others, be it a chat at the beach or a shared laugh.
Thank you so much, I appreciate it!
I am amazed by your elegant words during your incredible loss. Our thoughts are with you and your family. Unfortunately, I am experiencing similar stuff with my own congestive heart failure. My fight has been a bit longer, but It truly focuses you on the importnat bits, and the time for you loved ones. There is never enough of it. I regret I will not be able to meet Jimi, someone so brave and loved is worth so, so much in this world. Keep giving those hugs, they are so important, and especially when you need one yourself. Take care, and our condolences.
But I am thankful for my wife, who holds my family together, puts up with me, and deals with everything with Love. Like you, I am incredibly lucky!
Thank you so much, Blake, I truly appreciate it. I am sorry to hear of the struggles you and your family are going through as well, and prayers of course for your continued health! You're absolutely right about how it puts a lot in perspective and helps bring out what's truly important. The kids knew their mother loved them right up to the last, and even though her passing was earlier than we'd expected, the time she made for all of us was an incredible gift.
I’m so sorry for your loss. I wish you and your family all the best.
Thank you so much!
I feel you. I lost my father to lung cancer. His friends told me a lot about him i never knew afterwards. He apparently was a very sad man, and only was happy listening to the music of his youth. And I am very grateful for those memories.
I'm so sorry to hear of your loss, but glad you got to get a sense of the man he was through the lives of those he touched!