What a gift it was to have Giris in my life for the last 15 years. I keep going through old photos, emails and messages laughing, crying and shaking my head. What a giant of a human being. A unique character whose influence went far, wide and deep. So deep. He called me Jyoti which means 'light' because he said "he sees that in me". I, of course, saw the light in him too. It was hard to miss. And with that light is fire. We're both fiery with strong convictions and passionate intensity. So, despite the love and mutual respect we shared, we had some real heated arguments. He loved playing the devil's advocate and he seemed to enjoy pushing buttons of those he loved. Quick to react, I was easily baited. But the care we had for one another was never questioned. And I so appreciated his different perspectives, his generosity, and the wisdom he'd impart, even if I couldn't quite decipher all his metaphors. The love and devotion that he and Narayani shared was a real inspiration to me. Here were two people so in love and in sync, and yet so different from one another in many ways. Love flowed so easily between them you could see it. I've been so fortunate to bear witness to the fierce love he has for Amari (my sister-in-law), how he opened his heart and life to Shawn (my brother) and to the gentle playful side that Kai brought out in him. His heart was big and his generosity was unparalleled. His commitment to family (in its broadest definition) was unwavering. His stories were rich and colourful. And his style was sharp. I think of him and smirk remembering all the missions he'd love to go on - the more challenging and 'impossible' the better. Giris was all about turning the impossible possible. In an email exchange about Leonard Cohen album that he recorded while aware of his pending mortality, Giris wrote to me "I do love the way Leonard Cohen did his epitaph... 'bring it on'. So, I leave you with a quote from that album.  "There's a lover in the story But the story's still the same There's a lullaby for suffering And a paradox to blame But it's written in the scriptures And it's not some idle claim You want it darker We kill the flame Hineni, hineni I'm ready, my lord" Forever in our hearts, Giris. May you rest in peace and continue to make the impossible possible in the afterlife.