“death is more universal than life; everyone dies but not everyone lives.” – a. sachs

i’ve been debating posting this for a while now, but i finally decided that i should because i can.
last night, police found the body of a 22-year-old missing hiker they had been looking for for a couple days.
he had gone hiking on saturday and was officially reported missing on tuesday.
he was a byu student that had recently returned from a mission in frankfurt germany.
he was in the byu marching band, played the trumpet, and loved loved loved them both.
he was always wearing sunglasses (and had the tan line to prove it).
he always wore a byu sweatshirt, jeans, baseball cap, and cowboy boots in the winter, and shorts, a tshirt, and tennis shoes the rest of the year.
he lived life to its fullest because he was always doing exactly what he wanted to do.
he wasn’t afraid to be himself, and he had his own opinions that he wasn’t afraid to share.
he wasn’t bothered by other people’s opinions.
he lived his life just as he wanted to.
this person’s name was tyler mayle, and he was in my freshmen ward.
he wasn’t really a part of the big group of us that existed back then, but in the second half of the year, he started doing stuff with us.
when everybody left that summer, he would skype me and my friend allison, and he and i would email back and forth.
he went on his mission and i never really talked to him since.
he emailed me once while he was on his mission and told me that i could email him if i wanted.
but me, being the knucklehead that i am, i completely forgot.
the last time i saw him, he was walking out of the mall doors near where tayte and i were in the t-mobile store.
he had a big smile on his face.
our freshmen ward bishop emailed the ward and told everyone what had happened.
he also mentioned that tyler had gone in to see him when he got back from his mission, and confessed that while he was excited to start school again, he really just wanted to be back in the field, testifying of the Savior.
like my bishop, i have a feeling that he is doing that again.
do i regret that our last communication was a lack of communication?
you have no idea.
however, he is in a much better place doing the work that he loves so much.
that is how i will always remember him.
doing what he loves with that big smile on his face.

april 2010
{note: if you think that he looks kinda fake in this picture, you’re right. we reenacted this picture later, but it just wasn’t the same. fakeness must be spontaneous.}

you will be missed, tyler.
rest in peace.