In his acceptance speech at the 2014 Espy Awards, Stuart Scott said , “when you die, it does not mean that you lose to cancer. You beat cancer by how you live, why you live, and the manner in which you live.”
We don’t always know when and we don’t always understand why, but loss is something every person must face at some point in his or her life. It’s not something we can control and many times it’s not something we can stop or prevent. The loss of anyone, be it your best friend, someone in your chapter, or simply the boy that sits next to you in your 8 a.m., can really put life into perspective.
“Anyone who is able to fight and BEAT aggressive cancer three times in a matter of five years is a legend in my book. Though the disease is what eventually took him away from us, he never let it get in the way of living his life. He knew how precious life was and was determined to live to his full potential. He leaves a legacy behind him, inspiring everyone to push a little harder, strive for something greater and just be a little better…If that’s not a legend, I don’t know what is.” –Cj Obediente
As college students, we tend to get caught up in the day-to-day struggles and lose sight of the important things in life. We choose to put ourselves in this bubble of college and forget about problems in the outside world, concerning ourselves mainly with where we are going out on Thursday night and where we should order dinner in from.
This bubble slowly begins to seem like reality; a reality where the hardest decision we make on a daily basis is deciding whether to nap or study for the midterm we have the next day. Why is that? Why do we let ourselves lose sight of what’s really important in life? Why does it take a tragedy to put everything into perspective? Why does it often take losing someone to find ourselves? We say we spend all this time with our friends, but how much of that time are we actually present? Sure we are there physically, but how many times are you just there with someone? Forget the iPhone. Forget the Netflix. When was the last time we sat down and were just present with one another, talking and actually hearing what that person has to say?
“The first thing I noticed the day I met Oliver was his ability to make you forget about anything going on in life. His presence alone always managed to force a smile on my face. Anytime you hung out with him or even just ran into him, he was always genuinely interested in seeing how you were. He was selfless. All he wanted was for others to be happy and he was the one who was sick. He was the first person I could lean on when I thought life was taking a bad turn. I will never forget hearing his voice and positivity and it will continue to push me to be the best man I can be. Oliver may be gone, but his impact on my life and all those he touched will never fade. Rest easy brother, I love you with all my heart.” – Bennett Molyneaux
After experiencing a loss of my own at a young age, a grief counselor told me that statistically speaking, you’re supposed to get four years between each major loss in your life. This month alone, we’ve unfortunately lost four members of our community. We don’t all know these people personally, if at all, but as a community, we mourn the loss of each and every one of them. I cannot put into words how I would feel losing a member of my chapter. Not seeing someone’s face when you usually do passing him or her in the lunch line or in the seat next to you at chapter. You don’t expect to hear of someone so close to your age passing from the awful disease that is cancer and you begin to ask yourself “why?” Why him? Why would someone so good have to deal with something as terrible as cancer?
“Oliver was one of the brightest, loving people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. He exemplified what it meant to be a great brother and friend. He was constantly smiling and bringing joy to everyone around him. I have truly never met a more determined person in all of my life. Those who had the pleasure of meeting him were extremely lucky and those whom did not can still strive to live his legacy.” –Sam Harper, President of Theta Chi
Oliver Bucknell, brother of Theta Chi Fraternity here at Florida State, passed away from Malignant Melanoma earlier this week marking yet another heartbreaking, premature passing in the Florida State community in just a month. Our hearts go out to his family, friends, and all of the brothers of Theta Chi. Please know that your FSU family is with you during this difficult time. While it may be hard to come to terms with the loss of Oliver, take comfort in the fact that he is out of pain and suffering and always remember that cancer may be able to take people away from us, but it can never take away the smiles, laughter, and memories you shared with him.
A vigil will be held for Oliver at 6:30 p.m. on October 8th. For more details, click here.
