Tribute to My Jedi Master.

Hello, my name is Kofi Jamal Simmons. I stand on the shoulders of Katie Heard-Gladney, my Mother. We stand on the shoulders of Howard and Luradell Heard, my Grandparents. I also stand on the shoulders of Gary Heard, my Uncle.

Growing up with Uncle Gary, I had someone who “got me.” He was one of the first adults to reach me where I was versus expecting me to be at a level I wasn’t yet. Our mutual love of science fiction and superheroes was used when he wanted to teach a lesson or talk about anything. When dealing with emotions of not having my father in my life, he took Luke Skywalker’s plight with Darth Vader as a backdrop for our conversations. When I told him I knew Vader was Luke’s father, Uncle Gary called me a “Jive Turkey” (something he called me when joking around). I explained that I “felt it inside,” he turned this in a lesson to trust your “Inner Voice/God”. He was one of the first to apologize to me (I had bumped the kitchen table as he was attempting to record a song off the TV) and explain the “why” of the apology; something I make every effort to do with my son and at work.

Lessons were big with Uncle Gary. There was always a lesson to be learned or thought to be shared in any conversation. He took his time explaining his thoughts, even if sometimes Young Kofi just wanted to play with his toys in peace. I memorized, “If you do good, you get good. If you do bad, you get bad.” He’d give me .50 cents or a dollar, I was happy to see him happy & the coin wasn’t huge for me. It wasn’t an exact science, he warned me. Yet I tried it; learning that sweeping the kitchen floor doesn’t mean I’m getting a comic book at Rite-Aid the next day. He was teaching me about giving out the energy that I want to receive and want to have in the world. This would stick with me throughout my life.

“If you do good, you get good. If you do bad, you get bad.”

As I got older I saw less of him. Uncle Gary moved out west, to get away from the “Baltimore BS” as he’d say. I like to believe he left to find himself and set his roots on his terms. He came back to see his parents off as they returned to The Essence. He still had the same smile, hearty laugh, and plenty of thoughts/lessons. We kept in touch via the phone and through the Internet. Like him, I love my “Me Time” and value being able to reach people on my terms. The learning never stopped. Often he would say or post something that touched me when I needed it, yet he didn’t know ahead of time. 

Since Uncle Gary’s passing I found myself going to Star Wars as a source of comfort. I must have watched each film two or three times, even the ones I’m not too fond of. In one scene Yoda says to a struggling Anakin, “The fear of loss is a path to the dark side. Death is a natural part of lie. Rejoice for those around you who transform into The Force. Mourn them do not. Miss them do not. Attachment leads to jealousy. The shadow of greed that is.” At that moment I let go of so much sadness inside of me. He has returned to The Essence, he is with The Universe. I am happy for him as he continues his journey.

I want to thank Aunt Barbara, cousins Kevin, Rose, Yian, and everyone who were in my Uncle’s life. It means the Universe to me to know he was cared for and loved. The Jedi Master is not with us physically. He will ALWAYS be with us. 

“Everything’s on time.

Like dawn when the daybreak shine,

Like stars so bright each single night,

That skim across the sky,

Everything’s on time.”