That backpack at the bottom of my closet...

A few years ago my friend George came into town and we went out, as old friend do.  It was on a layover that I was teasing him about, he was flying from Utah to LA, to some middle American State to China then to Australia.  It was on miles...so it was free.
George will do anything when it comes to free stuff, especially travel.
His brother, who was just going to start college, was joining him in Australia, though he was taking a straight through flight.   An adventure if you will, before he started out on his own, with his big brother.
George is one of those people you want in your life because he's just real and he's just awesome.
clean and simple.
He was very excited to have this adventure with his younger brother and he asked if I could keep his other backpack, filled with who knows what, in my closet until he comes back to pick it up.
That trip was a trip of a lifetime because a couple of months later, he lost his brother.
He died in a fraternity hazing of alcohol poisoning.
George and his family have been through years of pain, legal bullshit, and trying to move on with a steady head and heart.
Tonight I had dinner with George.  He has done tons of traveling, thinking, and growing through these past years.  He brought a couple of friends and we all chatted, ate sushi like mad dogs, and talked about lives we have shed, currently have, and hope to have.  It's why you go out to dinner in the first place.
Tonight he also picked up his backpack.
It's been at the back of my closet for sometime now, he doesn't remember what's in it. But I do know that when I took it out of the back corners of my closet, it felt heavy--and emotional.
That's the saddest backpack I've ever picked up in my life but when I handed it to him, it was happy--ready to go--and back at home.
Neither of us knew what was in that backpack, but both of us knew it represented the final adventure he had with his kid brother, and perhaps before now it was too early to feel it--now it was safe to feel him..
and remember him.
and love him.
Cheers George, take care.