Permanent Markers

It's only fitting that today was the first day I really felt the sharp cold in Melbourne. And while my recent happiness and positivity was peaking, I was shocked to hear the passing of Michael Stribley, an Old Xaverian who graduated the same year as I.

We didn't socialise in the same circles, nor were we friends, but the sadness that washed over me as I read over his accident on the way to LAX upon his return home from a trip around the world, gave me shivers nonetheless.

We work day in, day out, while people pass through our lives and we often don't think twice about the path they take from then on. As we grow older, and as the seasons pass, we should all take more time to recognise that each of us brings something so special, so unique, to our existence within this world.

As I reflect on the hallways of the majestic Xavier grounds, I see faces I haven't thought about since leaving those grounds, about people I thought I would never see again. And I realise, some of them I *really* never will see again, yet I saw them everyday for 7 years, and they, both collectively and individually, shaped who I am today. And for that, I am grateful.

May we all travel safely, die peacefully, and remember that each of us leave this world with an indelible mark upon those we have encountered.


Michael Stribley. RIP.