Peter Hamady

When you are sorrowful, look again in your heart, and you shall see you are weeping for that which has been your delight." Kahlil Gibran wrote these words.

As I stand here, I feel a pain in my heart that tells me I have lost a friend that I loved. Together we are weeping for what has been our delight. Gautam. To quote some of the things that have been written by friends in the past week: we delighted in his irrepressible energy, his spontaneous laughter, the candor and intimacy of his company. We delighted in how he made us feel: alive, energized, and special, because we saw how special hewas.

In Gautam's senior thesis at Vassar College, where he and I became friends, he wrote a short passage that reads as follows: "It is impossible to measure all the effects an experience has on a person. But I know my life experience has helped me cultivate a strong personal belief. A manifestation of that belief is that I try to dismiss personal baggage, pre-conceived notions and stereotypes, and internalize the different perspectives and circumstances of other people's lives." Gautam's ability to give people exactly what they needed was awe-inspiring.

One of the qualities I most admired about Gautam was how he included everyone. He never made you feel left out or unwanted. His friends and family were his priority. In a letter, Gautam once wrote, "If I do anything great in this life, however that is defined, it will be because of the energy and love people have given me, and whether I do or not, my true
wealth lies in the same source."

So many friends and relatives have expressed to Gautam's family how much he touched their lives. I know it has meant a great deal to them. What I'd like to express to them is that, I see so much of Gautam in each of them. And I know I am speaking for all of Gautam's friends when I say that we love
you and look forward to a lifetime of friendship with you.

I'd like to ask your indulgence while I read one last passage he wrote in a letter to me. But I'd like to read it back to him. Once again, I rely on my friend to help me express myself... "There is little in this world that gives me greater pleasure than sitting down on a sofa with you. I know what is going to flow from mouth, heart, ego, id and brain will be glorious in every sense of the word, and the experience as in the moment as it gets."

I will miss you, Gautam.