“I fucking loved my life.”
Andrea Gibson, thank you.
People die. It’s one of life’s certainties.
We hear about it every day—actors, politicians, writers, athletes. Sometimes the news barely registers. Other times, it lingers.
Every so often, someone’s passing touches me more deeply than expected—someone I never knew personally but who somehow left a mark through their words, their work, the way they lived or loved.
When they’re gone, I feel it as if they were a family member or a friend.
I grieve their loss.
I remember feeling that when Princess Diana died. Then again with Anthony Bourdain, and Kobe Bryant. Just to name a few.
This week, I feel it again—with the passing of poet Andrea Gibson, who died at 49 after living with and battling ovarian cancer.
A couple of years ago, I heard Andrea on this podcast. I didn’t know their poetry then, but I was struck by their aliveness—the way they spoke, the courage they embodied. I looked them up afterward, wanting to know more. I found a poet, a truth-teller, a fierce and authentic queer activist who used their voice with purpose and heart.
In one of their final reflections, Andrea said:
“I am more here than I ever was before. I am more with you than I ever could have imagined.”
I can’t pretend to know what their loved ones are feeling in this raw moment of loss. I wonder—do they feel that presence more than ever?
What I do know is that, though I didn’t know Andrea and wouldn’t call myself a longtime fan, their words stayed with me. Their presence—through their poetry, their passion, their fight—is here with me now.
I feel their strength. I feel their courage.
I feel inspired to live what I have left of my life so that a part of me might linger after I am gone, too—for those I’ve loved and even those I never knew.
If you want to hear Andrea’s voice, you’ll find many of their performances on YouTube. Here is one of them.
If you want to know more about who they were, read Things That Don’t Suck, and don’t miss the beautiful tribute written by Andrea’s wife.
That’s where I found Andrea’s last words—words I hope I’ll be able to say when my time comes.
“I fucking loved my life.”
May you be touched by Andrea and their gift to this world, as I am now and will be for a long time to come.
With love and gratitude,
xoxo
Kit