Frodo "Frodoroki" Tolkien

08/09/2023 - 07/28/2024

Columbus, Ohio

“Death is just another path, one that we all must take. The grey rain-curtain of this world rolls back, and all turns to silver glass, and then you see it.” – Gandalf to Pippin, “Lord of the Rings” by J. R. R. Tolkien

My dear, wonderful Frodo,

I have so many things to say, but nothing seems right, nothing seems appropriate, nothing fits.

The world doesn’t make sense.

Thank you for eleven months of memories, I treasure them all. All of them, every ounce of comedy, frustration, all of it, I embrace it with a heartfelt gratitude. God willing, I will make it to Purgatory when my own time comes, and once I’m done there, I know I will see you again.

You helped me survive math classes, you helped me survive when Phil crossed the Bridge earlier this year. And now, now we are trying to make sense of how to move forward without you.

We did everything we could to show you love, we did everything we could when you got sick. Neither of us understands what, exactly, happened, but we are grateful that we were given the time we had with you, though it was entirely too short.

We will miss your demands for cuddles, your stomping about and screaming for attention. Your brothers are just as confused as we are, but I promise you, we will do EVERYTHING we can to hold each other up as we navigate this grief together…

I hope when the rain-curtain rolled back, and once you moved beyond the silver glass, you found fields of catnip, my sweet, gentle boy.

Rest well, and God willing, we will reunite again one day.