#365DaysOfWriting – Day 187
Belated Happy Birthday, Neil Gaiman. And RIP, Leonard Cohen.
I’ve made a grave mistake.
In the din surrounding the two big events in the last two days, I have failed to acknowledge two of the greatest wordsmiths to ever grace our times.
Neil Gaiman turned 56 years young yesterday.
I say young because this man can’t age. Just take a look at his Twitter bio.
He also wrote what I believe is the greatest children’s book ever for adults: The Graveyard Book. A fresh perspective on The Jungle Book that is about loss, friendship, love, malice and coming-of-age. One of my favourite quotes from the book is this.
Face your life, its pain, its pleasure, leave no path untaken.
How thrilling it would be if we adults actually did that. Children can do it. We can’t. And that’s Gaiman’s magic. He makes us feel like children all over again, even if we can’t be as brave as them.
Thank you, Neil. Stay young.
Leonard Cohen passed away at the age of 82.
The poet behind classics like Hallelujah; Suzanne; Hey, That’s No Way To Say Goodbye; and So Long, Marianne, among many others. Marianne…?
I’m actually very happy for Cohen. Remember this?
Know that I am so close behind you that if you stretch out your hand, I think you can reach mine… Goodbye old friend. Endless love, see you down the road.
He wrote that to his one true love, Marianne, shortly before her death on July 28, 2016, in a hospital in Oslo. The song, obviously, was inspired by her. I’m just glad that they’re together again.
Thank you, Leonard. Be loving, be loved.
