I wrote about the sudden passing of one of the most influential professors I’ve ever had, Sid Gomez Hildawa, a couple of days ago, still reeling from the shock of this terrible news. Today I noticed my blog had more traffic than usual, and the searches for Sid Gomez Hildawa directed some of the googlers to my site. I guess that’s how many people care about him, and I know now that many are saddened by his sudden demise. I then tried to google his name and I was led to many other bloggers’ sites where they, too, wrote about their sadness and sense of loss. Reading their entries and the comments of his students, the people he worked with, etc. made me tear up. I realized I wasn’t the only one feeling that sense of loss. I am not the only one whose life he’s touched. I am not alone in wishing he could’ve stayed a while longer. Many beautiful, touching stories have been written about him, snippets of random acts of kindness and how much he inspired and encouraged. He was undeniably one of those rare, gifted and kind-hearted individuals this world needs so much more of. And this overwhelming confirmation of what I’d remotely suspected before, makes me sad and also happy in some ways. Sad, because his loss is nothing short of a tragedy. And happy because there is a glimmer of hope in me that is wishing that he left knowing how many people’s lives he has touched and blessed with his presence. I pray that his soul has found rest.
Here is a link to his blog: http://www.lihawad.blogspot.com/
