“Maybe some things don’t get better, but we do. We get stronger. We learn to live with our situations as messy and ugly as they are. We fix what we can and we adapt to what we can’t. Maybe some of us will never be fully okay, but at least we’re here. We’re still trying. We’re doing the best we can. That’s worth celebrating too. If you’re reading this, congratulations, you made it to today. You made it.”
Nolan Michael Burch was an incredible human, you know, the kind of person you hold onto tightly and don’t let go of. He was a rare breed, a person with an incredible heart and mind. I’ll never forget the first time I met him. I was grabbing lunch between classes at Summit and he made a comment about my sorority bag. “Are you in greek life?” he asked. As I began to say yes, he immediately brought up the subject of how he planned to rush Kappa Sig and how he couldn’t wait for rush week to begin. Everything that Nolan did, he did with the utmost passion and heart. He never half-way completed anything, even if that thing was a joke. He was always out to make someone laugh. If you were having a bad day, you could count on him to make you forget all about your petty little problems. In the three short months that I had the privilege of knowing him, I never once heard him complain about anything. He would always ask me how I was doing or how my day was going. He was more concerned about taking care of someone else than taking care of himself. Every time I ran into him around campus, he was always surrounded with people. He was the kind of person that you just wanted to be in the presence of all the time. He had this way about him, this charisma that lit up a room even before he spoke. As the Greek community and the university as a whole mourns the tragic passing of someone who was loved so much, let us all remember Nolan as a person who wouldn’t want us to be sad or upset. I never saw Nolan sport anything but a smile, and when he smiled, you couldn’t help but smile back. When I was in that hospital room at his bedside, I felt this presence upon me that was nearly impossible to ignore. In that moment, I knew that Nolan was there and it made me feel safe. He’s up in paradise now making an impact on everyone all while making them laugh at something that probably wasn’t funny to begin with. You had an incredible future ahead of you, Nolan but when you’re called home, I guess you have no choice but to answer. Whenever you notice the sun shining a little brighter, think of Nolan watching over you, and protecting you. Everyone now has one hell of a guardian angel looking out for them. Country roads took him home to where he belongs. We will never forget you Nolan. We’ll carry your memory with us wherever you go, and someday, we’ll all be reunited. You brought the Greek community closer together and left a little piece of yourself with every person you met. We love you! Now rest easy Buddy and we’ll see you soon.
Editors Note: This note was written by a friend, and HerCampus writer Jessica Colacicco. The views and comments stated are from her perspective alone.