The Loss of a Gift

My friend lost his father to a heart attack the other day. I wasn't particularly close to his dad but for some reason the death is hitting me hard. Perhaps it was because it was so sudden, he was in good health and relatively young. Perhaps because it reminds me how unexpectedly your life can change. It makes me realize how precious the time that I have with my own family is and how quickly it can be taken away. Mostly I am overwhelmed with trying to understand why. Why in a world filled with so much evil was a man that was so incredibly good taken so early?

Kirk Gumz was a giver. He was heavily involved in his boy's lives and personal pursuits including the high school marching band and the boy scouts. At any one moment you could find him repairing tubas, building uniform carts, fabricating a lift for the the back of the bands equipment trailer or building drum line props. He helped with eagle scout projects, loaded band equipment on show days, helped find people cars or fixed their cars. He could do anything and whats more important he would do anything. He was the epitome of generous. Albert Pine wrote, "What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal".

Mr. Gumz will not only live on in his actions but in the hearts and minds of those who witnessed his remarkable ability and desire to give. He was an inspiration and an example to countless students and parents. He will be missed but never forgotten.