This week we lost Zach Sobiech, who left the world much poorer with his passing. However, he left us a wonderful gift. The Minnesota teen wrote a wonderful song called “Clouds” after learning he had terminal bone cancer. He sang of his hope that “maybe someday I’ll see you again . . . We’ll fly up in the clouds and we’ll never see the end.” The physical end came for Zach this week but his grace and his gift has lifted the hearts of millions.
His beautiful song has raised more than $100,000 to fund research into osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer which typically occurs in teens and adolescents. He wrote the song as a farewell to his family and friends.
He had just turned 18 on May 3.
His short life was a life well lived. This extraordinary gift to his family and friends was one of the most profound statements of strength and optimism that I have had the privilege of witnessing.
Thank you Zach.
Here are his extraordinary lyrics:
Well I fell down, down, down
Into this dark and lonely hole
There was no one there to care about me anymore
And I needed a way to climb and grab a hold of the edge
You were sitting there holding a rope.
And we’ll go up, up, up
But I’ll fly a little higher
We’ll go up in the clouds because the view is a little nicer
Up here my dear
It won’t be long now, it won’t be long now.
When I get back on land
Well I’ll never get my chance
Be ready to live and it’ll be ripped right out of my hands
Maybe someday we’ll take a little ride
We’ll go up, up, up and everything will be just fine.
And we’ll go up, up, up
But I’ll fly a little higher
We’ll go up in the clouds because the view is a little nicer
Up here my dear.
It won’t be long now, it won’t be long now
If only I had a little bit more time
If only I had a little bit more time with you.
We could go up, up, up
And take that little ride
And sit there holding hands
And everything would be just right
And maybe someday I’ll see you again
We’ll float up in the clouds and we’ll never see the end.
And we’ll go up, up, up
But I’ll fly a little higher
We’ll go up in the clouds because the view is a little nicer
Up here my dear
It won’t be long now, it won’t be long now.
BY ZACH SOBIECH
Good web site you’ve got here.. It’s hard to find high-quality writing like yours these days.
I truly appreciate individuals like you! Take care!!
OS, That’s not supposed to happen.
I can’t watch it. My grandson wanted to be 18. He didn’t make it to his birthday.
Frank, My daughter sent me this video yesterday, it’s a real tearjerker.
“I want to be remembered as a kid who went down fighting and didn’t really lose.” -Zach Sobiech
(Thanks for this posting, Jonathan Turley. And thank you for the additional video, frankmascagniiii, as well as the Alfred Delp quote.)
Here’s to “love, goodness, truth and light.”
“When through one man a little more love and goodness, a little more light and truth come into the world, then that man’s life has meaning.”
Alfred Delp
Thanks for this amazing story. Here is a moving Youtube video:
http://youtu.be/9NjKgV65fpo
Thank you, Professor.
The world is poorer with the death of every good person.
Ave atque vale.
Way cool.
Reminds me of some of the text about clouds in the context of a resurrection from the dead in Christian theology:
(1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).
And you say that there is a God…. Zach, believed something…..Thank you for this professor….
This is big in Minnesota. It has helped my daughter. She is in the Woody Allen, Albert Brooks school of death. She wrote to me yesterday about how this has soothed her heart and head.