One of my closest friends, @craigmaloney, passed away this morning. He was diagnosed with stage four cancer a bit over two years ago. He spent that time fighting like hell for his life. His eternal optimism was almost indestructible and deeply admirable. He refused to give up, even in the face of dwindling treatment options. I was given the opportunity to visit him last week, and even as his body was shutting down, he was still full of smiles.
Craig has been there for me since we became friends, through the best and the worst times of my life. Even when he was sick, he was there for me. He affected my life in many positive ways. There are two major life paths I took because of him that have forever changed the arc of my life story for the better. One, I attended PyOhio in 2017 after only two weeks of programming experience, and it introduced me to a supportive, wonderful community, of which I am a major part today. It led to my career as a community leader, programmer, and technical writer. Two, when I left my job of six years in September 2023, he suggested I try content creation, which I had fleetingly considered once or twice over the years, but never realistically, and never in a way where I believed I actually could. He convinced me I had more than enough to share with the world, and that what I have to share is important.
I am forever grateful to Craig's wife for giving me the opportunity to say goodbye. And I am forever grateful to Craig for making my life better in so many ways. Craig is an amazing person who wanted more than anything to have a positive effect on the world. You succeeded, in so many ways, friend. Rest peacefully now.
ghostdancer
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