I met Scott my freshman year of school at UT, I am a lot different person now than I was then, which is a nice way to say that I didn't really do much with Cru back then, or around people at all much. But I do remember him, he is one of those people that just captures the room and leaves an impact on you. He was gone sophomore year, and when he returned junior year it was like everyone was his best friend and he treated you that way. And just like we had been best friends since the first day of Freshman year I was brought into the world that is Scott Gianopoulos. Those of us who were so blessed to be a part of his world know the great joy that he brought to it. His world is full of Disney movies upon Disney movies, T-Swift and Crowder, die hard Packers, White Sox and UT fan, FLORIDA SUCKS!, lots and lots of candy, adventure, love of every person he met, and he has this uncanny ability to make anybody skip class, every single time.
Scott lived his life full of adventure. Everyday was a new day to do something spectacular. Something that I now try to strive for. He taught us how to love people. I have never met anyone who loved more abundantly than Scott. And the greatest part, he loved to love people. His biggest way to serve people was just loving on them everyday. Something that I am not very good at doing, and think about him and his heart on a daily basis. His passion for people is one to look up to and learn from. Scott loved Jesus, but not only that, Jesus excited him. Think about that for a second. Most of the people that will read this love Jesus, but I can bet most of us don't go in each day with a childlike excitement for the Lord and all he does. Just like Scott was exited for each friendship he had and you saw and felt it each time you were around him, he had that excitement for his #1 best friend, Jesus.
If you asked people to think of the one world to describe Scott, most of them would say 'joy'. Something we all want to have and do have at moments in our life. But Scott was always joy. And of all people, he had a right to be angry, to be upset, to lash out at God, but he chose not too. Of course he had days that were hard, but you would never know it. His life and each day in it was a witness to every person he came in contact with. Something I heard over and over in the years knowing him, are people saying how we want to be joyful like Scott, love like Scott, and have the highest amount of faith like Scott. His life is a legacy that is carried around in the hearts of hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people across this nation and around the world.
A year ago today, early in the morning, Scott ran his hardest to the pearly gates to see his savior. No more pain, no more suffering, Scott is, from then until eternity, with his heavenly Father. Those 7 days I spent in Chicago were full of tears, heartache, laughter and celebration. In the midst of those days, I received a message from one of the directors of UT's Relay for Life asking if Cru was going to be participating again this year. We had had a team last year "Team Scott" to tell the world how much we hated cancer and that cancer wasn't winning. This was a friend of mine so I replied with everything that Cru was going through and that I would get back to her in a couple days. But I didn't need a couple days. As the 60+ person caravan of UT students in all our orange glory drove up to Chicago to celebrate Scott at his memorial service, there was no doubt that we were going to have a team and the celebration of his life everyone would want to do. It was true, after signing up Cru and word got out, everyone was excited and on board. Now that I look back on it, it was therapeutic for everyone to process what had happened. So many people showed up to help, walk, stay up, and share stories about Scott. Because cancer didn't win. Cancer never took his joy, his love of life, and most importantly his strong faith. Cancer never got the best of him and will never win. Though this was not my first all nighter in my lifetime, it definitely is the most important one.
I started this blog post almost a year ago, a tribute blog turned into a Relay blog, but I could never finish it. Writing things makes them more real to me, which is why journaling is so important yet so hard. I want to act like things didn't happen. That Scott is just back in Chicago for a little bit. I was angry and hurt. I couldn't stand the fact that my dear dear friends who I loved so much were about to go through so much pain, pain that I knew too well. Many of them never have gone through such heartache before. I was angry it was happening again, another friend gone on to be with the Lord. It didn't really hit me until late that night after returning back to Knoxville the day Scott passed, and I went to get gas. I began sobbing uncontrollably at the gas pump, so much I couldn't get gas. How I mad it to class the next day I will never know. But then I started laughing, laughing that I was crying my eyes out at the Pilot on the strip with strange looks from everyone, and laughing because of the rant Scott was giving me along with everyone else about being upset about what happened. Scott never wanted us to be upset or worry about him, he wasn't upset or worried about the future so why should we. So celebrate is what we do in honor of Scott, on his birthday I was living in Haiti and not around anyone who knew him, but I celebrated anyways. I laid in bed sicker than all get out, in so much pain all I could do was hit play on my Muppets cd as I fell in and out of coma like sleep, but it was how I could celebrate. Muppets and candy (Haitian cookies are probably the best ever), and watched pictures and videos of friends back in Knoxville sending off lanterns, like in Tanlged, as Happy Birthday messages. Today is no a day to be sad, but to relish in the great relief that Scott is fully restored and with his favorite person ever. And maybe a day to tell every Florida fan how much they suck, a day to skip class (school is for fools), an excuse to eat way too much candy, or sit at home on this rainy day and watch a marathon of Disney movies. Though some days over the last year are harder than others to celebrate, I am always reminded of the great joy his life brought and to be like that, to live a life full of joy is the best way to tribute our dear friend Scotty G.
In loving memory of
Scott James Gianolpoulos
October 10, 1988-March 5, 2012
