Today is March 14 and Professor Stephen Hawking has passed on. At just four minutes past midnight, the first Breaking News headline rolled in. Over the next ninety minutes, at least ten different article alerts reached my phone, detailing the same news over and over again. Candidly, I am hesitant to admit that I cried, overwhelmed by the idea that such a profound human being could be overcome by something as trivial as death, after having surmounted obstacles far greater than such. Never before have I been so deeply and emotionally affected by the death of a “celebrity” (in quotes because I feel as though that word diminishes Hawking’s true impact). His ideas made me question our place in the universe, and have greatly influenced my beliefs regarding the concept of time, and general human existence on a larger scale. He was one of the rare individuals who had such a distinct personality that he could be separated from his work. A scientist is usually remembered for what they have discovered or theorized, but Hawking is remembered for who he was as a person – comedic, insightful, and accepting of all. Although I have no interest in pursuing anything remotely related to science, Hawking’s life story is what garnered my interest in the subject, as told through film. The Theory of Everything (2014) is criticized for its lack of depth on scientific matters and its focus on Hawking’s personal life. However, it provides phenomenal insight into the ups and downs of living with ALS while having to maintain a loving relationship with his wife, Jane Wilde, played by the wonderful Felicity Jones. It is based on Jane’s memoir of their marriage, so that previously mentioned criticism is entirely invalid, nonetheless. I have watched the first quarter of this film more times than I can count (43) and it has left a profound effect on me. Eddie Redmayne’s Oscar-winning performance, chronicling the tumultuous truth encompassing Hawking’s lifestyle, gave me an unknown appreciation for this brilliant man, who’s life transcends a disability that so many have confined him to. I admire him for his ability to make and acknowledge his own mistakes, to revise and improve his own brilliance without an excessive ego. I am now so ashamed that I kept pushing off buying Hawking’s books, along with Jane’s memoir; it almost feels as though it is too late, yet I know, deep down, that it is not. Knowing that I never had the chance to see Professor Hawking in my lifetime is soul-crushing, but merely being alive at the same time as one of the greatest minds to ever live is an infinite reward that I am endlessly grateful for. His legacy lives on amongst the stars.

Live in Peace. Best Wishes, Madee

Note: not actually posted on the fourteenth – my apologies & I mean no disrespect.