Remember the important stuff!

I think that we can all agree that 2020 more or less sucked! 

However, despite how bad it appears on the surface, taking stock of the most important things in life realigns our wants and needs with things that really matter ... see the graphic to the left. 

Despite Canada's #1 ranking in the quality of life for the 5th straight year (CLICK HERE), and while she still has communities of people that wouldn't be able to put check marks beside all 10, that doesn't change the fact that a high percentage of Canadians could. Anyone looking at the graphic should come to the realization that there are very few of those 10 signs that involve the size of your house, the allure of your vehicle, the version of your cell phone, or the threads that hide your nakedness. 

With thoughts of this list at the forefront of my thoughts, I was slapped upside the head this week when I received word that one of the young men that I coached in the Rugby Ontario program had passed away at the way too young age of 27. A quick survey of Social Media reveals 1000's of posts from people about the negative impacts of the pandemic, but the photos that adorn their Social Media profiles indicate the overwhelming majority are surrounded with the love of their immediate family's embrace, the warmth of shelter from our Canadian climate, and ready access to a wide variety of services and utilities. 

Jake Webster (Obituary), at 27 years old, won't enjoy any of that anymore.

Jake hailed from Fenlon Falls High School when I first met him, was an active member of the Lindsay RFC, and was a penultimate human being. An avid hunter, farmer, and athlete, Jake is being remembered as a devoted husband to wife Maggie and loving father to William and Millie. Being a member of the Pickering Fire Department, Jake was a parent's dream. I will personally remember Jake for both his prowess on the rugby pitch (representing Canada in both 7-a-side and 15-a-side internationally) and the quality of human being he was, even at an early age. His smile was always genuine, his friendship warm, his work ethic admirable, and his unsurpassed passion for life. 

I am deeply saddened by this news.

It is often said that one of the greatest tragedies of human life is the outpouring of profound love and admiration shared at the funerals of people we respect in lieu of sharing those sentiments with them when they are still with us. Judging by the words, pictures, videos and testaments being shared about Jake, he packed a lifetime's worth of goodness into a relatively few number of years, significantly impacting those who were obviously proud to call him a friend. As a testament to that sentiment, Courtney Tinkler, a close family friend, set up a Go Fund Me account with a goal of raising $10,000 to help Jake's family deal with their loss (CLICK HERE), but at the time of writing, it had raised over $184, 000. The outpouring of generosity is an incredible consequence of the impact Jake had on so many. 

Go grab your loved ones, hug them tight, and tell them how much they mean to you because you never know how much time you'll be given in this life. 

God Bless you Jake.
God grant you strength you Maggie, William and Mille.
God's grace to his parents Duane + Christine Webster, siblings Griffin, Oliver, Arianna and his relatives.