Live and Love It Up
by Tim Loomis
Of all the articles I have written for the club newsletter, this is the most difficult. My heart weighs heavy with the news of the tragic death of Kent and Sharon Hull's grandson, Pippin Seales. As many of you know, Pippin was a regular to many of the club's events. He was especially fond of the fly tying classes where he and his grandpa Kent spent many hours mastering patterns. There will be an announcement of a memorial dedicated to Pippin in this newsleter. I have received more calls from club members offering suggestions as to what would be appropriate for the memorial than I have on any other issue the club has faced. This bolsters my solid opinion that our club is one of the finest organizations I have ever had the privilege of association. As a club we mourn the loss. As a club we cherish the memories of Pippin. As a club we will support Sharon, Kent and the rest of Pippin's relatives and friends in this difficult time.
In my life there is only one act that I have never been able to intellectualize and it has happened again. What good can arise from Pippin's premature passing? I reckon that many of us will appreciate our loved ones a bit more than we did yesterday. The every day routines will appear clearer. Opportunities that previously had gone begging will be embraced with a new found vigor. Look no further than the person closest to you and be sure to tell them over and over again how much you love and appreciate them.
There is an another organization that I am a part of called Ride-A-Wave. Ride-A-Wave holds around 10 camps a year at Cowell's Beach in Santa Cruz where young kids and adults with disabilities are given the opportunity to surf, bodyboard and kayak. One of the groups that attend each year is the Jacob's Heart Foundation. Jacob's Heart works with kids undergoing or who have undergone cancer treatment and their families. Given the severity of cancer, we have lost a few of our charges over the years. It is always a difficult time to face when one of your favorite kids has departed. But we had one particular young girl whose joy for life overcame all of the obstacles that the disease presented. Her motto was "Live and Love It Up". With that I salute Pippin with the knowledge that he, too, lived his short life that way.
Fish on!