— A friend and colleague, Dan Sicko, passed away the...

A friend and colleague, Dan Sicko, passed away the other day after a long battle with cancer. He was only 42. He leaves behind a wife and a young daughter. I am compelled to write this, as the news hit me hard, and consequently put a lot of things into perspective.

Dan and I met during my tenure at Organic where he worked as an ACD at the Detroit, Michigan office. We spent a lot of time crafting campaigns together for Chrysler. He would visit the Toronto office often, and we would always make a point of catching up. Dan had an incredible, irreverent sense of humour. He was fair and honest. He respected the people he worked with - in an industry lush with egos, he had none. He was also an accomplished author, something I only learned after his passing - because Dan would never tout that.

After learning of his passing (an illness he battled quietly, unbeknownst to most of those around him) something in me changed. For many of us, we plod through life wasting time and energy on things that don’t really matter. We focus on the negative - we become circumspect and self-deprecating - we get caught in the weeds of our own dramas - we fixate on shit that is unimportant. We waste evenings lamenting a failed relationship, or bitching about our jobs. We turn the pleasure of being a parent into something of a chore. We create unnecessary complications to our seemingly simple, carefree lives by placing ridiculous parameters to our future. We revert to high-school behaviour, wanting what is perfect. We want a life that is neatly packaged in a light blue box. We want guarantees that everything is going to be okay.

Perspective is a humbling thing. I’m pretty sure Dan would’ve given anything to tuck his daughter into bed tonight - to wrap his arms around his wife and kiss her goodnight after a lovely dinner and bottle of wine - to meet his closest friends for a beer at the local pub. And here we are, ignoring our own mortality searching for something better, or perfect, or clean. Here we are ignoring the beauty of just living. Here we are disposing of relationships the second they get complicated, or messy, or imperfect. There is no greater finality than death. And yet we skirt it as if we are immune to the unexpectedness of it all - that the thought of us being diagnosed with a terminal illness or getting hit by a bus crossing the street is somehow implausible.

It’s easy to get caught up in the drama of our own lives: the contractor is taking too long to renovate the kitchen; my kid is being an asshole; work sucks. We can get caught up in the imperfections of everyday life until we realize (as I realized today) it’s those subtle imperfections that in the end mean nothing. They are insignificant musings. What truly matters, what really counts, is living a life of no regrets. It is celebrating every moment with the people you love. It is about the next laugh, the next moment, the next experience that changes you forever.

Thank you Dan for reminding me what is truly important in this life. My deepest sympathy and condolences to your family. You will be missed by many.

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