RIP, Steve Jobs

It sometimes strikes me as odd, how sad I feel regarding the passing of people I don't personally know, such as actors, politicians, or other celebrities. But then I remind myself that although I may not have known them personally, they have obviously impacted my life in some way, hence, the sense of loss when they're gone.

Like millions of others around the globe, I am so saddened today by the loss of Steve Jobs. We knew it was coming, but as it always happens in life, knowing about an impending death never diminishes that sudden feeling of loss and sadness when it does eventually happen. I've been reading many lovely tributes about this remarkable man tonight. I think President Obama pretty much summed it up when he said, "Steve was fond of saying that he lived every day like it was his last. Because he did, he transformed our lives, redefined entire industries, and achieved one of the rarest feats in human history: he changed the way each of us sees the world. The world has lost a visionary. And there may be no greater tribute to Steve’s success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented."

Indeed, it's true. I learned of his passing via Twitter and Facebook on my MacBook Pro. I immediately told Brian, who then looked it up on his iPhone. We later watched an inspiring commencement address he gave at Stanford University in 2005 on our iPad. Coincidentally, we watched animated shorts by Pixar with Lucy earlier today. To say that Steve Jobs impacted our household in a profound way would not be an understatement. All three of us are fans of and consumers of products that he created- yes, even Lucy already knows how to use an iPhone and iPad, she enjoys the computers, and of course, she loves Pixar movies.

Aside from the products and industry he created, I will also take away some of the inspiration he left behind, both from his actions and his words.

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."

                                                                                           - Steve Jobs, 2005

Thank you, and rest in peace. You will be missed.