Thank you guys, really - sincerely.
It's strange, this hit me so very hard. Even though I knew it was coming, I had no clue how impactful it would be when the inevitable happened. Yes, I was spared the shock, because it was expected, but I was completely unprepared for the intensity of the blow. We were extremely close, and the loss cannot be reckoned in words. I'm sure everyone's who's suffered a close loss like this knows exactly what I mean. It absolutely crushes you. And all the spiritual knowledge and awareness in the world, though it obviously provides some comfort, does not really soften the impact.
One other thing I want to share. In the hospital, while he lay in this critical condition, I reached out and touched him on the arm and told him I loved him. He was barely conscious so probably didn't hear it, and I didn't really need to say it. I'd never said it before. I'm a guy and he's a guy and we didn't say this sort of stuff. But I wanted to say it because I knew if I didn't I'd go on to wish I had. I guess what I mean to say is, you can't wait forever to tell the ones you love that you love them. If you have the opportunity take it. Cherish your nearest and dearest while they're still here.
In closing, I'm greatly comforted by the fact that I know he's not really gone. He's just walked through a door into a higher reality, and in the grand scheme of things I'm only a hop, skip, and a jump behind him. It's a journey we all will take.