Godspeed Cer

I'm normally used to daily news, especially during these weeks of pandemic outbreak.

But I wasn't prepared for this.

Cer (Cerdwin Flanagan) has passed on.
She was so full of life and love, and there was no sign of any problem with her. Only recently she announced taking a small break due to not feeling well.
That was the last time I heard from her.

Cer was one of those unique souls that always tried to bring out the best out of people. She did that with many. She did that with me. I feel like having the same rez day was a sign.
I know she liked my creations, and I felt so honoured about that, but she pushed that on to a new level, by including them in what is now Witch Woods, one of the most beautifully crafted regions, where every single object has a story and a purpose.
It is a sanctuary for many. And that reflects Cer's heart.

She always prioritized the sense of community, and always made sure that everyone felt welcome and important. Her creative mind was the silver thread through which she summoned her magic. Because she was a witch, the good kind. Everyone who met her was enthralled by her charisma and her profound spirit.

If Second Life is a better place, it is thanks to people like her.

Her last legacy are the wonderful and memorable moments of gathering during Fantasy Faire, what we began to call Covfefe Breaks.
For many people, Fantasy Faire 2020 was hard, because of Covid outbreak, and there wasn't a reason to celebrate. Cer gave us a purpose, and made us ignite the spark of inspiration, that will now forever be set ablaze for her.

There will be no funeral pyre in my heart.
I want to hold on tight all the happy moments and memories we built and shared, squeeze them at a point to lose my breath, and find in them the light.

There is a beautiful metaphor of death in a poem by Herny Van Dyke.
When someone we care about passes away, they set sail on a ship, moved by the morning breeze, towards the horizon.
As she goes on, on the blue surface of the ocean, she appears to become smaller to our eyes. We have the feeling she became smaller, but she's still the same.
And when at some point this ship will reach the horizion, she will look like just one small dot amidst the sky, making us say "there, she is gone".
But at the same time there will be other eyes watching her, from another shore, shouting with joy "Here she comes!".

Cer loved to find beauty in everything, and we have been lucky and privileged to have shared part of our time on earth with her.
I am sure that she must have found her daily inspirational theme: ships!
I believe that she jumped on her viking ship, ready for a new adventure. And as we're mourning her, someone will be blessed with her talent, on another silver shore.
Someone will be welcoming her.
"Here she comes!"

I will never forget you my friend.
You will be missed.