In the words of Bilbo Baggins...
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."
For me, Skip falls into that second catagory. It is with regret I admit that, as he definately deserved more. That so many people have expressed grief and sorrow at his passing is enough to show anyone that he was one of those very special people, the sort that make life worth living.
Many of you have spoken of the positive influence in your life, and in the lives of others. So long as that remains, and his memory remains with us, he is still with us. As long as the seeds he planted continue to grow and flourish, he is still with us, and his life continues through us, and hopefully we can pass those seeds on to others. Then, maybe, the whole world will be filled with his legacy.
Finally, take this event to realise that nobody can tell the future. Life is often too short to hold grudges, to be selfish, to let friendships go unreaslised. When someone upsets you, don't sit and sulk, give that person a hug and forgive them. When you stop caring about the happiness of others, look in the mirror and realise a selfish person is a lonely one. When you meet someone new, don't just say hi and walk on by, take time to get to know that person because you might be missing out, and tommorow you may not have chance.
For Takira and I, and all those pixies who can't post or have left us, goodbye Skip. May your memory live with us and inspire us to be the sort of person people will miss as much when we are gone.