Celebrating Craig Evans: "We only have so many summers"
Dear friends,
On March 6th, 2023, Craig’s amazing life journey came to an end. He died on a full moon, the "worm moon", and for those that know him, this is significant. He had a special kinship with worms, such good soil friends.
When Craig was still with us, we would joke about how when people die, it’s often discussed as a tragedy, a sad event, or “the end of a battle”.
That’s not how we wanted to share this news. Of course, it is okay to be sad. Craig’s immense love and passion for life – and for the people, animals and plants around him – touched all of our lives deeply, and it’s a huge loss to the community.
But as Craig himself has said many times, “We only have so many summers,” and boy, did he ever live each of his days to the fullest. At one of the community dinners we held to honour his life and huge contributions to the community (and to honour all of you who have also given so much to our lives as well), Craig remarked that he’s had so much fun in his life, “it should be illegal.”
The incredible thing about cancer and Craig’s diagnosis is that it’s given us the remarkable opportunity to hold these celebrations while he was still here, and to process and understand what was happening and walk with him in his process towards his death. Craig died in the same way that he lived, embracing his full life experience, which included his death. Throughout his journey after his diagnosis he focused on the love and fun he had in his life. He was blessed with stunning quality in his life, and was thankful for the 67 years of life he had.
In the days and months and years that follow, the most important thing is to honour Craig’s legacy by acknowledging that the torch has been passed. This is the time for us all to reflect upon what we’ve learned from Craig and the way he existed in the world, and consider how we might all like to put those lessons into action. Or as I like to think of it, what would a "Craig move" be?
If there’s anything Craig stood for, it was the strength of the local community —and the most significant way to contribute to his memory is to put our energy towards the community in some way that feels meaningful, important, and gives us joy.
A transition team has been set up at Growing Opportunities to ensure that Craig’s work will continue, and there is room for people to get involved. Reach out if you are interested. A legacy fund has also been set up in Craig’s memory at Nanaimo Association for Community Living. Please select 03 Craig Evans Growing Opportunities/NACL Inclusion Legacy Fund from the drop-down list.
With love and solidarity,
Jen and Craig
