Gregory Marshall North (Greggie)After almost 27 years of being taught how to walk, talk, and perform daily tasks most of us find rudimentary, the last lesson to be taught was his to teach. It outweighed any lesson he may have been taught in his life, because his lesson to us, was a lesson on how to truly live.
In the six short years I knew him, I feel I formed an accurate picture of who he was, and I believe one word sums it up. Genuine. Many people strive to achieve to be genuine, many people claim to be genuine, but very few are. To me it is the most important trait any human being can have. To be completely, altogether, and perfectly, genuine. There was nothing about his character that was false. Nothing about his soul that was untrue.
One might wonder where he could have possibly learned this precious trait, seeing as though he had a tough time with other simple tasks. Well that’s easy. One needs only to look at his family and friends. His mother, whose strength, compassion, diligence, and unwavering love for him outweighed any negative emotion or feeling this world has to offer. His father and step-mother, whose love introduced him to a whole new family, but more importantly, introduced a whole new family to him. His brother, who could bring a smile to his face no matter how dire the situation, or how strong the fight was against his body. His sister, my wife, whose powerful love made him do the impossible. Greg saying the word "sista" after years of having no voice of his own was a gift only Emily could give. Although I have only met Tony a handful of times, I can guarantee you he is one of the strongest people I have ever met, and for him and Greg to have found each other makes me believe that we may not be led to where we're going in life, but there is something out there that wants us to get where we're going as easily as possible. The entire North family and their complete and utter devotion to his happiness is a living testament to the strength this family has. The staff at the Corsair Group Home is nothing short of paramount. Each and every one of us whether we realize it or not, has a foundation of support that allows us to grow into the person we can be. The Corsair Group Home and its staff were that foundation for Greggie; nothing short of the best in the world. To know his family and support group is to know that Greg was surrounded by and assisted by the perfect people for him.
Greggie was one of the most inspirational people this world has ever seen. No television program, magazine, newspaper, or internet site will tell you that, and absolutely none of that matters. He was our gift, our teacher. Only being in his presence could you feel the warmth he had to offer. Everyone who met him instantly fell in love with him, and we were all lucky to have experienced that. I'm sure everyone who reads this has their own personal "Greg" story. That tells us something doesn't it? Everyone in his life was affected by this one person. I can only imagine the power he must have had to be able to influence this many people, and I can only dream of having that much positive influence on the world. Without trying, Greggie had that confidence, strength of character, and positive power on people. His sense of humour was also captivating. You could walk into the same room as Greggie and within seconds you would be laughing at how real he was being and how real he made you want to be. I've always said the best meal you can eat is with nothing but your hands. If that description holds true, then EVERY meal became Greg's favourite meal! Mashed potatoes, cheesecake, chocolate Easter eggs, whatever he could get his hands on became the "food of the moment". His willingness to take nothing in life, not even the simple pleasures, for granted, should serve as grounds for everyone to base their life upon.
Like many who knew him, I have shed tears over the passing of Greggie. The emotions I have felt have not been expressed in one extended crying session, but at random times over the past couple days. While making breakfast Monday morning, or showering, while listening to a song, or just talking to my mom on the phone, I have had bursts of emotion. Never more than a minute long, but each was intense. Each time I cried the emotions I had inside me poured out in the form of tears, and some frustration. But with each period of tears came the inspiration to write a few words about the Greg North that I knew. The best tears I cried became these words, and I hope that, to his family and close friends, they are enough to capture even just a tiny bit of the person he truly was, the family he truly loved, and his lessons which will stick with us until our last day. I consider myself sincerely lucky to have been one of the people in Greg's life to have been able to say "Hi Greggie" and gotten a reaction from him. Whether it was a smile, a touch, or a fart in my general direction! To have known him, to know and love his family, and to whole heartedly love his sister makes me unequivocally happy. And to feel THAT is my first step to being more like Greg, which is what I genuinely aspire to be.
