One's life is defined...

One's life can defined as sum of the impacts and influences the person has had on others. There is no doubt that Bill's life has had a temendous impact and influence on many lives. The testament to that are these blogs, and the still silent and shocking reaction of all Haas students as they talk about the event of the past few months.
Bill was masterful at finding a way to connect to any person, regardless of background, culture, and etc. With me, it was Persian poetry which he was very fond of, especially poetry of Rumi, and Saadi. His knowledge of Persian literature was impressive. In his honor, I asked permission to post this poem from Rumi:

When I die...

When I die
when my coffin
is being taken out
you must never think
i am missing this world

don't shed any tears
don't lament or
feel sorry
i'm not falling
into a monster's abyss

when you see
my corpse is being carried
don't cry for my leaving
i'm not leaving
i'm arriving at eternal love

when you leave me
in the grave
don't say goodbye
remember a grave is
only a curtain
for the paradise behind

you'll only see me
descending into a grave
now watch me rise
how can there be an end
when the sun sets or
the moon goes down

it looks like the end
it seems like a sunset
but in reality it is a dawn
when the grave locks you up
that is when your soul is freed

have you ever seen
a seed fallen to earth
not rise with a new life
why should you doubt the rise
of a seed named human

have you ever seen
a bucket lowered into a well
coming back empty
why lament for a soul
when it can come back
like Joseph from the well

when for the last time
you close your mouth
your words and soul
will belong to the world of
no place no time

~RUMI, ghazal number 911.