Valedictions Tojo

I found out a few days ago that my friend Tojo Voisey had died. It was quite unexpected, he was only a few years older than me and had made some efforts towards looking after his health. As far as I could tell things were looking positive for him as well; he was working at 3CR, and had recently completed a diploma qualification in counselling. He had been through some rough times in his life and he bore those scars, but life did seem stable. As far as I have been told, he died quietly with his much-loved cat by his side - which was missing for a day or so, much to my consternation. I am hoping to arrange a service at the local Unitarian church were he attended almost every week and helped out with their radio show.

This sudden passing reminds us on the fragility of life, no matter how young and healthy we might think we are. Biological systems, and human biological systems in particular, can be surprisingly resilient to trauma but it is often the less well-known, less obvious, flaws in our system that can lead to a sudden demise. Tojo was a person who was living an involved, thoughtful, and active life. I am sure there was many things that he still wanted to do however, and now that chance is gone. Keep in mind that today may very well be your last day as well.

On ne peut pas vivre en ayant peur de mourir.