Misty's eulogy: "As most of us now know, Sam was a very big fan of J.R.R. Tolkien. Lord of the Rings was one of the books that he was reading before he passed. I've decided to begin what I have to say by reading something from The Hobbit, and Lord of the Rings.
The old walking song was sang by both Bilbo and Frodo, and each had their own variation on the lyrics. The first two verses I read are Bilbo's Walking Song, and the last two verses I read are Frodo's walking song.
'Roads go ever ever on,
Over rock and under tree,
By caves where never sun has shone,
By streams that never find the sea;
Over snow by winter sown,
And through the merry flowers of June,
Over grass and over stone,
And under mountains of the moon.
Roads go ever ever on
Under cloud and under star,
Yet feet that wandering have gone
Turn at last to home afar.
Eyes that fire and sword have seen
And horror in the halls of stone
Look at last on meadows green
And trees and hills they long have known.
The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.
The Road goes ever on and on
Out from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
Let others follow it who can!
Let them a journey new begin,
But I at last with weary feet
Will turn towards the lighted inn,
My evening-rest and sleep to meet.'
I chose to read these because they were about walking. As most of us know,Sam was a walker. Always walking here and there, to and fro. Up to lonestar. Sometimes to UTA. Just to get where he needed to go. And it's odd. He almost never had his boots tied.
We always stepped on his laces, tripped on them, tripped him by stepping on them. They caused us all sorts of problems. Eventually, however, it didn't phase us. It was normal, it was Sam.
When I pondered upon why his shoes were always untied, only one answer came to mind. Genius. A brilliant person would not be bothered by something as mundane and trivial as tying ones shoes.
Sam's mind was always on more important things. Learning, stories, movies,games, people. All the things he loved. He was thoughtful and deep. Intense and affectionate. He was always thinking. I don't think his mind got much of a rest, perhaps not even when he slept.
To me, Sam is a traveller. One who was here for a purpose. To learn, to love, to touch the lives of others. There is no one here who Sam didn't touch in some way. People who have only met him once or twice have even said that he left such an impression upon them.
He left behind so many people that loved him. And I know that he knows that he is loved. More than he probably ever knew in life.
And now, his travels have ended. He's earned his rest. And even still, those boots that he wore, are on his feet. Untied.
Sometime, forgot to tie yours for a day. And you'll be walking in his shoes."
Sarah's eulogy: "Let me start off by saying something from The Two Towers, Book Four, The Stairs of Cirith Ungol.
'...I wonder if we'll ever be put into songs or tales. We're in one, of course; but I mean put into words, you know, told by the fireside, or read out of a great big book with red and black letters, years and years afterwards. And people will say: "Let's hear more about Frodo and the Ring!' And they"ll say: "Yes, that’s one of my favorite stories. Frodo was very brave, wasn't he dad?" "Yes, my boy, the famousest of all hobbits, and that's saying a lot."'
'It's saying a lot too much,' said Frodo, and he laughed, a long clear laugh from his heart. Such a sound had not been heard in those places since Sauron came to Middle Earth. To Sam suddenly it seemed as if all the stones were listening and the tall rocks leaning over them. But Frodo did not heed them; he laughed again. 'Why Sam,' he said, 'to hear you somehow makes me as merry as if the story was already written. But you've left out one of the most important characters: Samwise the Stouthearted. "I want to hear more about Sam, dad. Why didn't they put in more of his talk, dad? That's what I like, it makes me laugh. And Frodo wouldn't have got far without Sam, would he, dad?"'
With that said, let me tell you more about our Samwise.
Today, tomorrow, the next day, and many days after are all going to rough on us. Sure we, Sam's friends, are not family members, but we are all close enough to be considered a family. We have to bury one of our own at such a young age and it should not be this way. His parents have to bury their youngest child, when it should of been him buring them. However, the truth of the matter is that reality is a harsh and cruel mistress who will continue to kick you when you are trying to get up.
You don't really realize how much someone means to you until they are gone. I teased him more than I should of, but I really did care for him. I never really got to tell him how much he meant to me...mainly due to the fact I thought he'd always be there. I'm going to miss the way me and Sam had really geeky moments, leaving some to wonder what the big deal was. I'll miss calling him Samwise or saying "I want to know more about Sam." I'll never be able to step on his boot laces again or tell him that wearing all black in the middle of summer isn't a wise idea. The long discussions over anything Gundam related will never see the light of day again. He will not get to see Matrix Revolutions, Return of the King, the rest of Harry Potter, or anything like that. I'll miss all the other things, both small and large. Why did it have to turn out this way?
I guess it can be sumed up by this Douglas Adams quote: 'I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I intended to be.'"
