Timothy O’Sullivan
Timothy O’Sullivan is no longer with us. He perished, with so many others, on 11th September 2001. I did not know this man, but I have managed to find a few things that family and friends wrote about him and built a picture. I only hope it does him justice. What I write, I write because we must never forget. We must never forget conflict and hate, how little they achieve and how much they cost. We must never find them acceptable, but neither should we retaliate. Most of all, we must remember the people. The innocents, the lost, the loved, the left behind, the missing, the unknown – they all deserve our witness.
Meet this man
Meet this man, this gentle giant, give him your time.
This man smiles and breathes warmth into those around him.
With stories of ‘bacon and point’, he can thrill a room with his humour
While making each feel like only they are there.
Meet this man, for he desires to know even the lowliest of men,
Respecting their value and understanding that we are all born equal.
The fellowship he nurtures, the loyalty he places
Standing eye to eye with an elephant, he sees only a friend.
Meet this man, his wife and his children
And the grandchildren he dreams of idolizing
He bathes his family in light and love, passes on his wisdom
Without expectation or hope, just the pleasure of sharing.
This man would break your heart, with no greater quality
Than the least among us, no lesser than our most revered.
He has faith in his God and doesn’t deny you yours
Meet this man. Look him in the eye and tell him what you believe.
Dedicated to Timothy, his life, his family, all the lives, all the families.
Beautiful. Thank you.
I honor Christopher Paul Slattery.
Thank you, Barry, for a lovely tribute to Timothy O’Sullivan. It is important we recognize that each soul lost was an individual with his or her own hopes, dreams, fears, and family, friends, and colleagues. This process can help us do so. Thank you again for such beautiful words.