.......Beyond the summit of Earth................

"Beyond the summit of Earth" was a phrase Clay used in an e-mail informing me of another friend's passing last July. True to his nature, he seemed to suggest that even in tragedy comes the certainty of progress - of reaching further and higher.

In the seasons we worked in McMurdo together, Clay and I had opportunity during late night shifts for occasional, musings, speculations, stories, and of course, frequent laughter. During all those exchanges, I never knew him to utter a single negative, sarcastic, or cynical comment. That simply wasn't in his repertoire. Instead, he seemed perennialy focused on possibilities, solutions, and the never-ending process of discovery that life offers. From the posts of others, it's clear he lived to act on those possibilites. His upbeat, proactive outlook clearly influenced and lifted the spirits of everyone around him. By that measure, it would be difficult to imagine a more balanced and successful life.

One of my strongest core beliefs is that those who've passed beyond our terrestrial reach remain with us in the ways in which we do and see things differently than we might have had we not come under their influence. From that perspective, I know Clay will always remain with us, and I thank him for that gift.