During the summer, I suffered the loss of a very good friend, or should I say best friend.
Since then, friends and family have come together to support one another in this tough time.
Cory G. Barron was a University alumnus this past May and was a friend to so many in this community.
Many of these friends, myself included, even with so much support, have had a hard time coping with and accepting his tragic death.
I am writing this column as a way to get my feelings out and hopefully help bring closure to this grieving process not only for myself, but for others as well.
I cannot begin to describe what so many of us would do in order to spend just one more day with Cory. I am not sure that anything I could write in words could prove how amazing Cory truly was.
However, I can say with confidence that heaven gained one incredible angel and it brings me comfort to know that I have him watching over me.
There will not be a day that goes by in which I will not think of Cory.
Whether it’s thinking of him and all of our memories at the University. Or the long nights of having fun and being with all of our friends.
The times where he was my confidant, a person that I could share anything with knowing he would not judge me.
When he was there to cheer me up even on my saddest days, and all the times we laughed at things that were not nearly as funny as we thought they were.
The times we spent talking about music and planning what concerts we were going to see in the future.
There is not a day that goes by where these moments do not cross my mind and I know that I am not the only person Cory was close to that is blessed with these memories.
When these memories cross my mind, I start laughing to myself and then I am taken aback as I find myself becoming saddened by the gravity of it all.
I begin to place blame on others and even myself, wondering if someone could have done something to prevent his passing.
But then I am quickly taken back because I know Cory would not want me or any of his friends to feel or think this way. I know he would not want us to become sad when we think about him.
He would not want us to dwell on the bad moments or petty arguments we have. He would not want us to remember the bad times and live in constant sadness and grief.
Instead, he would want us to live life as he did, happy and in the moment.
This being said, the best thing we can do to remember Cory is to live in the present, hope for the future and love with an open mind and heart.
Even as many continue to struggle with the question of why this happened, it is important to remember this fact: we must live for Cory.
Cory impacted many during his life, one that was tragically cut short, but in this short time he made it his goal to be a friend to everyone he met.
He lived every single second without taking a moment for granted. I believe that is what we need to do as a community of family and friends.
I am honored to have known Cory, and if there is one thing I have personally gained from knowing him as well as I did, it was to live life with a huge smile on your face, know no strangers and stay positive even on your darkest days.
This is what we should all do regardless of our affiliation with Cory.
I know that it is what I will do for the rest of my life. I will live for Cory.
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