Farewell my friend, Ioannis
Sorry, you had to close the chapter this soon.
I am happy for the opportunity to have mentored you,
Though I wonder to what end, now that you are gone.
So glad I was, when we finally got the chance to work on the same account.
The lunch we shared,
The protein bar chat,
The home gym chat,
Your crazy Masters degree idea still gives me a chuckle.
The life you left behind in Greece…
We are from different parts of the globe,
We are of different races,
Yet, we had a lot in common.
Immigrants from our home countries,
With similar challenges, yet not giving excuses,
Working hard to make a better life for our loved ones.
I love you so much, my brother,
My brother from a different mother.
Oh, how I will miss you.
If only, if only, if only I knew…
I laid in bed, in the dark and kept thinking loud to myself,
If only, if only, if only I knew…
I felt the blow of your demise the hardest when all was dark,
In the quiet of the night, whilst I reminisced, wondering…
If only, if only I knew
That our 1:1 call on the 11 Dec 2020 was the last one.
You spoke about your recovery from COVID,
and I told you about my family’s recovery from COVID, too
But COVID came back for you, this time, not to spare.
Your friendship was a blessing,
And I will miss you so.
You took your last breath
To end your suffering,
If I said it hadn’t affected me,
I’d just be bluffing.
If I could change everything,
You know I would.
The Terraform plan for 2021 I shared with you in our last 1:1,
I got it done. I passed it.
But it was a day too late. A few hours too late.
I did what you would have wanted
By posting the news on LinkedIn,
Except you weren’t there to cheer me on.
Since the loss of you,
I’ve learned to live for each day
And take it as a blessing,
Knowing how frail life is.
Jobs, cars, houses, certifications…
Will all fade into the dark shadows of the deep.
What really matters is what you did,
always smiling and going the extra mile to make a difference.
Oh, How I will miss you, my brother.
I am thankful for the moment we shared
I am thankful for the passion we shared.
I am thankful for all you shared with me.
I am thankful for the blessing you were to many people.
Your memory will live on; my colleague turned friend
Goodbye? No, I won’t say that.
Goodnight? Perhaps so.
Good night, for now, Ionnais
Καληνυχτα, Ionnais Christoudis
Please catch a good spot for me in the presence of the Lord.
Rest On.
Till we meet again.
