As has become tradition with each year, I find myself writing for Owen. I struggle with the words at times for just how much he continues to mean to me. He’s a deeply personal part of the past that I can’t thank enough. I’ve written about where my love for Owen came from, complied fun lists in the past, and even created artwork. This year I’ve chose a poem that I wrote when I was struggling so deep in the middle of a dark week. I’ve often said the world would be better if there was more of Owen in all of us, and that death is a really subjective term to me. What is really dead? To me memories are treasures we all keep of someone we loved, or looked up to. Our memories stay in our hearts and our minds; therefore, continuously loving and passing on stories of our heroes gives them an entirely new life. A piece of Owen lives in every rib story told, every match left behind, and in the comments of so many. It’s this constant refusal to let someone so golden by forgotten.
I am so very proud of the amount of people who this site has touched, and the amount of people who still fondly share their memories to this day. Time truly can’t destroy greatness. Owen’s true brilliance is the sheer positivity of this legacy he created just by living as a person with values.
My hope is that more people will become inspired by this incredible man we continue to speak about, and keep his heart alive. I hope those who read these, enjoy the words and think about the impact they wish to leave on others. Take time out of your day to smile!
~Cassidy @theowenhartfan (Twitter)
Owen’s Encore
This day is your day
Once brighter than life, you were all that was great
And are all that is great still today.
On this path you’ve left, in the hearts you’ve graced
Is a loud and lingering laughter
Never grown over, or weathered with time, never faded into dust
Always in our hearts, those jokes will stay
When told in words they are pieces of you to share for each of us
And we’ll keep your gift safe in an endless life.
You body didn’t grow old, you didn’t turn grey and you couldn’t stay.
But strong was the wisdom held within your soul, something so much greater than is measured in years.
You walked among others as equal
Never did the ego overcome as the fame grew each day
So true those Canadian values were a part of what made you a Hart
Your shoulder was a gift to many, a trusted box of faith
Loyalty never be lost in a business sometimes turned black
We have learned from you and use your strength for ours as we struggle at times.
We feel your loss, a lasting secret from above
Like a missing page and a song with no chorus
The mystery remains and like a restless wind it whispers what ifs
Is your story really over, or has it gone on?
Colleagues wrestle on with what you taught, you are always in their minds
A notable force within how many we don’t know
And in each of us who sit there today, we aspire to be more like you
A world of Owen souls, and blazers there could be in all of us.
We’ll be your encore, we are your voice
It’s our gift to you because nothing is greater
Absolutely nothing stands unbreakable, more so than a memory.
