SkyHigh04 0 #1 April 21, 2008 So amidst all my excitement for skydiving, there is something that lingers in my mind a lot...my brother. My brother passed away from a very rare type of cancer, at 25 years old, in January of this year. My life and world had completely stopped and it wasn't until sometime in March when I made my first tandem skydive, that I started to feel alive again. I guess in a way, skydiving has been this new found outlet and joy in my life, a kind of therapy I guess you could say. Has anyone else ever gone into skydiving after losing someone close to them, that can relate? I feel like I have a different outlook on life and I'm more ready now to really focus on my goals and dreams, and just make them come true. I know for a fact that if my brother was alive, he'd be going through AFF training WITH me. I felt like he was right along side me on all 3 tandems I've done thus far. In summation, I feel that skydiving has opened a lot of doors for me and in my mind, helped me find life again. If we live our whole lives without taking any chances at all, have we really lived? We continue to raise money for those in similar situations as my brother, feel free to make a donation... www.stephenjkunitskyfund.org "Because we do not know when we will die, we get to think of life as an inexhaustible well, and yet everything happens only a certain number of times ... How many more times will you remember a certain afternoon of your childhood ... that is so deeply a part of your being that you can't even conceive of your life without it? Perhaps 4 or 5 times more. Perhaps not even. How many more times will you watch the full moon rise? Perhaps 20. And yet it all seems limitless." -Paul Bowle's Sheltering Sky"...And once you have tasted flight, you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been, and there you long to return..." - Leonardo da Vinci Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkyHigh04 0 #2 April 21, 2008 Feel free to respond...just asking if anyone has ever found comfort in skydiving after losing someone? After reading some of the incident threads, it's hard to believe that no one here can relate..."...And once you have tasted flight, you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been, and there you long to return..." - Leonardo da Vinci Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
virgin-burner 1 #3 April 21, 2008 can kinda relate, as you know.. different altogether tough! just writing to make you feel good! “Some may never live, but the crazy never die.” -Hunter S. Thompson "No. Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try." -Yoda Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkyHigh04 0 #4 April 21, 2008 at least someone gives a shit "...And once you have tasted flight, you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been, and there you long to return..." - Leonardo da Vinci Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
virgin-burner 1 #5 April 21, 2008 mhm, if you want a tip from a stranger: this is the bonfire, so, its mostly booze, BOOBIES n'puppies.. WE're not IN enough, you know!? “Some may never live, but the crazy never die.” -Hunter S. Thompson "No. Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try." -Yoda Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SPAWNmaster 0 #6 April 21, 2008 I'm sorry to hear about your loss. you'll surely find people who have used skydiving to move forward or it has given them a new life. either way we're all in it for our own reasons. the feeling is the same, everyone in the sport understands it, but its a personal motivation so not everyone has the same reason. know what i mean? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
virgin-burner 1 #7 April 21, 2008 I do know! and i've told via PM.. put it out there number of times.. “Some may never live, but the crazy never die.” -Hunter S. Thompson "No. Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try." -Yoda Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
grannyinthesky 0 #8 April 21, 2008 QuoteSo amidst all my excitement for skydiving, there is something that lingers in my mind a lot...my brother. My brother passed away from a very rare type of cancer, at 25 years old, in January of this year. My life and world had completely stopped and it wasn't until sometime in March when I made my first tandem skydive, that I started to feel alive again. I guess in a way, skydiving has been this new found outlet and joy in my life, a kind of therapy I guess you could say. Has anyone else ever gone into skydiving after losing someone close to them, that can relate? I can very much understand what you are saying. I, too, lost my brother to cancer. He was diagnosed and died within just a few months leaving many hopes, plans and dreams unfulfilled. I realized I didn't want the same thing to happen wiith me. I had been living a very quiet, safe life, doing little but existing. I really didn't know how to change my life or where to start, but I did start making changes, losing weight, trying new activities and rediscoveriing old ones. Then in October last year, an opportunity to do a tandem came my way. I hadn't particularly thought about skydiving, but it seemed like a fun thing to do, so off to the dz I went. Well, that day changed my life. Skydiving has been the catalyst that is leading me to a much more fulfilling life. I am learning to challenge myself in my daily life as well as in the air. There is much more I could say, but if you're interested, look at my blog on myspace. I will be walking as many hours as I can in June in the local Relay for Life to do my part in funding the fight against cancer. My brother's passing changed my life, but I hope others can find change another way, without the sadness and grief."safety first... and What the hell..... safety second, Too!!! " ~~jmy POPS #10490 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
masterblaster72 0 #9 April 21, 2008 QuoteFeel free to respond...just asking if anyone has ever found comfort in skydiving after losing someone? After reading some of the incident threads, it's hard to believe that no one here can relate... Skydiving helped me cope with a breakup that was tough for me to get over and after 31 jumps in 4 days, I felt a hell of a lot better. Not nearly as tragic a situation as yours (sorry to hear about your loss), but yes, jumping can certainly be therapeutic. So if it makes you feel better, by all means, jump yer ass off! Be humble, ask questions, listen, learn, follow the golden rule, talk when necessary, and know when to shut the fuck up. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkyHigh04 0 #10 April 21, 2008 I appreciate you guys sharing. Some of my friends think I'm crazy for wanting to skydive. I think there is a little tiny quirk in all of us who skydive, weather it's 1 jump or 10,000 jumps that puts us apart from the rest. I notice it just in talking to people who skydive and have hundreds or thousands of jumps and then you talk about skydiving to someone who doesn't and you feel like 'ehh go away, I need new friends' lol well not exactly but you know what I'm saying."...And once you have tasted flight, you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been, and there you long to return..." - Leonardo da Vinci Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
poe62 0 #11 April 21, 2008 I didn't lose someone, but I almost lost myself. I can relate. I'm still in it. Every jump makes me feel alive...even on dark days.~Nikki http://www.facebook.com/poe62 Irgity Dirgity Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
virgin-burner 1 #12 April 21, 2008 the dark days, remind us why we're STILL being here.. i relate to you much more than to the op's thingy.. “Some may never live, but the crazy never die.” -Hunter S. Thompson "No. Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try." -Yoda Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
elightle 8 #13 April 21, 2008 ShyHigh04, Thanks for sharing this personal stuff with your fellow skydivers. I lost my 13 year-old daughter 4 years ago when she was hit by a car. I was numb for a month then my old teammates asked me to fill in at a 4-way meet. It brought me back to life and I will always be grateful to the guys (Shane, Anders, and Kim) for doing that for me. It might sound corny, but I feel closer to my daughter when I'm in the sky. One time after I opened, the wind brushed my face as I looked up at my canopy and it reminded me that that was as alive as I was ever going to get. It was like a gentle kiss from my daughter and it gave me peace. I just hung there for a moment and let it all sink in. I have found no better therapy. Blue Skies Forever! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jennyx 0 #14 April 21, 2008 i lost my sister in a car accident. i feel like every jump i get to spend a little time with her Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DangerRoo 0 #15 April 21, 2008 I am sorry for your loss. Yes I do understand in a few ways. I had lost my self after a bad divorce. Along time friend of mine and I had always talked about skydiving, but we never got to it. So... it was time. I did my first tandem with her for her birthday. It opened up my life and dreams again, more than I ever could have imagned it would. I was needless to say hooked and had to figure out a way to do this on my own and meet people as you also know have the desire to do this. I have meet soooooo many awesome people on here and cant wait to meet many of you face to face! Since my tandem on that september day its all I could think about but had to wait for money and the weather to get better so I could get through AFF with out stopping a lot and repeating things. I was gearing up to start when at the end of march my lil sister was killed in a car accident. She also had wanted to learn to skydive and had done a tandem. She was going to start a year after me having just started college, so was the plan. I started AFF a couple weeks after her death and I know its exactly what I needed to do. If she could have been there she would have been all smiles and hugs! .......now I'm still waiting for the damn weather to be jumpable, but I am at least in it and loving it! (I.C.D#2 VP) "<3 ..Looks like breasts coming out of an ice cream cone. Mmmm."~John Mitchell "I'm good with my purple penis straw" ~sky mama Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
woady 0 #16 April 22, 2008 QuoteI didn't lose someone, but I almost lost myself. I can relate. I'm still in it. Every jump makes me feel alive...even on dark days. I can sorta relate with her. I work career in a pretty dangerous field and I see people who are hurt, sick, and often die and there's a lot of truth behind what your saying Skyhigh. Its a shame we take things in life for granted and we really forget when making a living to really live. It takes something bad to happen to open our eyes. I'll be truthful with you, and for girls reading this here is your "Mascara alert" but today at work some people had an accident. A really bad accident, and if you were watching the news in the Atlanta area you would have heard about it. My station was dispatched to the call and we were first on scene. A father who lived a few blocks away had just dropped his son off at school and was on his way back home when he had a medical problem, crossed the center lane and crashed into another car. Both men were trapped, one of the vehicles caught fire and both men ended up dying. Both men had kids, and one was in the Army Reserves (which my driver is an Army Reservist too). And it just really messes with you when you sit there and you realize this JUST happened and there isn't anything you can do. We pronounced them both dead even though less than 10 minutes ago the father had just kissed his son good-bye. It tears me up inside. Now some kids don't have a dad. Its sad, that something like this ever even has to happen, but it happens every damn day. It constantly reminds me not to take life for granted and tell your friends and family that you love them. And yeah, I've only jumped once for now ( I definitely would jump more had I more time, lol, but I know what you mean). Skydiving is therapy and its good that you channel skydiving as a release and continue on and not stop despite the horrible things that happen in life. We gotta keep moving on. That's just my story for today, sorry its probably pretty depressive.You know what's similar between Cops and Firefighters? They both wanna be firefighters. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkyHigh04 0 #17 April 22, 2008 I appreciate everyone sharing. I like to hear how skydiving has impacted peoples lives in a positive way."...And once you have tasted flight, you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been, and there you long to return..." - Leonardo da Vinci Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
