A Final Farewell.

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

- Robert Frost

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Paths converge and diverge throughout the journey of life. I am a firm believer that the people that enter our lives do so for a reason, at the time they were meant to, and they touch our lives, leaving us changed. Sometimes those convergences are painful and we do not always know why we must endure the trials they bring. Others, others enter our lives and they enrich our time in this world. The relationships we develop with them make us better people and when they leave, they leave behind lives forever changed for the better. Daniel Estes was one such person for me.

Daniel came into my life like a whirlwind nearly four years ago. We met through social media, coming together out of a mutual love for fantasy, good books, and fantasy RPGs. We chatted often, sharing ideas, talking about our love of good stories and his new found love of TTRPGs. Daniel always had a smile and a kind word, always coming when it was needed most. He was the first person to encourage me to try my hand at content creation and even invited me to join him in some of his endeavors within the community.

When he became sick he met the challenge with courage, optimism, and a determination to persevere in the face of cancer. I have never seen anyone fight so hard, always with a smile on his face and an eye toward the future and the things he wanted to accomplish. Sometimes the fight took so much out of him he had to step away, to rest and heal, but always with that infectious smile those who knew him always saw on his face.

When he posted that his treatment was done and he had rung the bell, being told he was cancer free, we all breathed a collective sigh of relief. Our friend was safe. Heartbreakingly, the cancer came back, more aggressive and without warning. Daniel being who he is, he smiled, was always optimistic, and drew himself up to fight again.

We stayed in touch, even when he was in the hospital, to weak to chat for long, but always ready to give an update and to tell me encouragingly that he would soon be home. He wanted to be a guest on my podcast and we had just spoke a few weeks ago about him coming on once he felt up to it.

I learned today he left this world and I felt the world darken at the news. I miss him already and know the online community is a poorer place for his passing. He touched so many people, leaving his mark behind on all of us.

Farewell my friend. I will miss your smile, your laugh and your constant encouragement and advise. Your battle is over, your burden done.

May your ship guide you to the Undying Lands where you will know peace and joy.

Until we meet again.