Dan was one of the greatest people I've ever known. He was my best friend, my chosen brother, the father of my nephews, and a consistent positive experience in my life.
The meaning of life is a infinitely complex question, but for me I think that there are three meanings that are pretty high on the list.
The first is to enjoy the time you have on this Earth to the best of your ability. The second is to improve other people's experience while you are here. The third is to leave the world a better place having you been apart of it.
I can't think of a way Dan could have done these three things better.
For the first one, he struggled with his own mind, but he never stopped caring or trying. He, despite being an introvert, put in time and energy into making friends, inviting people over for board games, bringing people together, going to events, festivals, and concerts. He actively built the community that he wanted and in doing so hand picked his lifelong family and friends. I think that Dan enjoyed his life the best he was able while he was here.
For the second, this one is self-explanatory for everyone that met him. Dan consistently brought companionship, kindness, empathy, and protection to everyone he met. Whether you met him while having a drink in a bar for a moment, met him for a weekend at a music festival, or he was part of your life everyday, he showed nothing but goodness and positivity to you.
One of the ways that Dan improved my life is a quality he had that was incredibly impressive to me. As you all know, Dan loved board games, and he had the ability to enjoy any game with anyone regardless of what it was or if he was good at it. Dan had no ego and never got upset. He could get his butt kicked at a game he did not like, over and over again, and if someone said "let's go again" he would immediately say "sure!". Board games for him were not about the game. It was about the bonding and time spent with friends. Dan's favorite game was always the one that someone else wanted to play.
The third is harder. Dan left us far earlier than anyone expected or wanted. I knew Dan would be in my life forever, and now he is suddenly not. The memory he leaves behind however, is only good. He has two amazing boys and in them he planted the seeds of kindness, empathy, and curiousity that will continue to grow.
For those who don't know, my father left when I was very young, about the boys age. I was raised by a single mother, and I was incredibly lucky to have 2 amazing uncles who stepped in and helped raise me. So I know a bit of what Miles and Bastian have ahead of them. One important difference is they have a memory and experience of a father who loved and cared about them. Dan did not choose to leave, he was just unable to stay. He was a good father and a good man who set them on the correct path in life.
I will forever miss Dan's energy, companionship, positivity, and ability to explain complex games to me so I don't have to read the rulebook.