It’s hard to count the number of times I’ve heard Phil’s “donor rap.” But this last time in Chicago was different. Without Phil, there’s no Fare Thee Well. Without Phil, there are no “and Friends” to see at Lockn’ or at the Cap a few times a year. Without Phil, there is no heartbeat, no lifeline connecting the players on stage. And as Dean Sottile notphiled in a recent blog post, has there ever been anyone as grateful to their organ donor as Phil Lesh?

So last week, when I was online renewing my driver’s license, I finally checked the organ donor box. I’ve had my license longer than some of you reading this have been alive. So what changed?

I thought about the many, perhaps countless people who need an organ transplant or they will die. They are each somebody’s parent, child, sibling, best friend, or other loved one. One of them might cure cancer someday. One of them might play music to hundreds of thousands of loving fans. Or one of them might just need to punch the time clock in order to put food on the table. They are each worthy and each deserves a chance to live a full life.

When Mickey urged us all to be kind, and take the feelings we had from Chicago and keep them with us, I figured this was a pretty easy and painless way to do that. So when I’m dead, perhaps someone will have the heart of the Dead beating in their chest. Peace.

Love,

Meri (rhymes with Jerry)