A Tribute To My Friend.. What can I say? By no stretch was Corey…
By: Suga Ray
Tags: Family, Death, Life, Transition, Health

In Memory of Corey Rivera.

What can I say? By no stretch was Corey my best friend. I didn’t know his favorite color, nor his favorite food. I didn’t know his craziest dream, nor his greatest fear. I didn’t know his birthday, nor whether or not he wanted children. There’s a lot I didn’t know about Corey. We didn’t see each other or speak often. He was, however, my great friend! I’ve known Corey at least 30yrs. There are only a few friends I’ve known longer. Every time we did speak or see each other, it was as if no time had gone by. Since elementary school up until the last time I saw him maybe 2 weeks ago, he remained the same exact person. Genuine. Funny. Humble. Reliable. He was always ready to trick you or rank on you. He loved his family, and his friends. He loved to laugh, and have a good time. He was loyal, and he was honest. He loved his community, and his job. He loved good music, and good food. Man! He was a really great dude. He was always full of life, laughter and love. I remember being teens in the peer program at our community center and going on road trips together, cracking jokes the whole way. I remember listening to Corey and another friend, Shahiem Smith, rap. Their names were Coreaga and Shamron! Ha! Hilarious times! The good ole days. Man.

What made me really proud of him and made me feel good to call him my friend all the way into adulthood, is the fact he worked at the same elementary school we went to as children. That’s honorable and inspiring. I remember asking him why he still worked there and he said, “You got your way of doing things. I got my way of doing things. Why you asking me questions?” I was stuck. I looked at him puzzled and said “What?”. Then he laughed and said “Nah, I’m messing with you. I don’t know why I still work there.” We both laughed. That was the epitome of who I knew him as. A goodhearted brother who just wanted to enjoy life, be happy and make people laugh. And as far as I know, he did that exceptionally well.

I have so many wonderful memories from our youth. These memories will undoubtedly sustain me. Whenever I have a thought of him and the sadness takes over me, I will remember a time and relive it in my mind and feel the same things as before. Corey is with me, as he is with all of those who knew him, even more powerfully present in the lives of those closest to him; his parents, his siblings, and everyone else who held dear.

I want to share the following wisdom for anyone who may need it…

“What many call death is merely a transition from this realm to the next. Surely, when we were birthed into this realm, we existed somewhere before that. In our Mothers? Yes, but somewhere still before that. In our Fathers? Yes, but somewhere still before that. In Science, we know that energy is neither created nor destroyed, only transferred and transformed. Although our physical bodies will one day return to the Earth, that which makes us Alive, the energy that gives us Life, is indeed eternal and everlasting. So we mustn’t fret. For when our beloveds transition they are not in some distant place that you can no longer see them and be with them. No. When our beloveds transition, they do indeed return to the source, they return to what many call God, which is within Us. When any one we love takes their last breath, we become greater and more powerful. We truly become One in that moment. We can See their face and Hear their voice at will. We can call upon them for guidance and protection. Although losing a close sibling, suddenly, causes immeasurable pain that disrupts our lives in ways we’ve never imagined, if we can accept and embrace the pain, rather than deny it and try to hide it, we can come to see the beauty and power that is in the reality of having a close sibling of yours now as your Ancestor. That is power. That is truth. That is life. “

Do we all not desire to return home after we have done our work? And if our boss lets us go home early, do we not celebrate and rejoice? Know that, regardless to what we may think or feel, Corey’s job here was done and it was time for him to return home. But, don’t fret. He now rests within all of you who loved him.

Love, Laughter & Healing Vibes. #TogetherWeHeal