Reading through this thread was like losing Cory all over again. It was like a punch in the gut that led to swelling in the throat to hot tears pouring down my face. It brings me so much sadness that this board is coming to an end, though I understand everyone's decision and completely respect it as I couldn't stay here as a moderator myself because it was too painful.
I didn't want to write this tonight or now because of how much I was crying while reading through this and now I'm in a terribly depressed mood but I knew if I didn't now I may not get to it before Sunday out of fear of putting myself in this mood again. So may as well write this as I'm still choking up tears.
All I can really say is that I loved this board. I loved being here. I met some of the most amazing people here. I had some of the funnest nights of my life here. I have no regrets, and nothing but great memories of this board and that will forever remain. Just like how I having nothing but never ending love for Cory. I love this board, but I love Cory much more, and being here without him around is just too hard and painful. A constant reminder of everything lost, of the beautiful humble down-to-earth man who is gone. So thus why I have avoided FanForum and Tumblr and fandom culture in general since his passing.
I will forever consider Cory Monteith as my idol, my role model, my favourite celebrity, my #mancrushmonday (lol), my favourite actor, my favourite singer, my favourite musician, and my biggest inspiration until the day I die. And I am proud of that fact, I will be proud to answer the question, "Who inspired you to be where you are right now the most" when I am hopefully successful with a split second response, "Cory Monteith". I've had the blessing of sharing who Cory Monteith was with a lot of real life friends of mine who didn't know of him but knew how badly his death affected me. I will always keep your memory alive Cory in the greatest light, I promise. I know that we will all have many ways to keep his memory alive without this board, even his encompassing kind heart and free spirit lives through us. So while this may be goodbye to this board, for me and I'm sure many of us, it's not a goodbye to Cory, there will never be a goodbye to Cory. I will carry Cory with me for the rest of my life. I consider myself the luckiest fan to have had such an outstanding person as my idol. I truly do, because he's made me a better person in so many ways and I'm so grateful to have known him and been inspired by him.
This is kind of a messy post because I'm still devastated from even looking at the title of this thread and because I've said most of my goodbyes when I stepped down, but I will say thank you to every person who made this board such a enjoyable part of a long period of my life. I love you all. I will never forget our memories here and I look forward to the day I reminisce and come back to read our fangirling along with to fall in love with Cory Monteith all over and over again.
Adie, I love that you made the OP his fan encounters because that's much of what Cory was. He was all about his fans, which is why we're still so heartbroken over his death even a year later. I'm so glad this is his legacy though, that he gets to live on in our hearts as the shining bright human being he was. While his end was unfortunate, it hasn't affected how any of us feel about him because we know he was much more than the cause of his death.
Cory, I'll leave my final words on this board for you. I miss you terribly still every single day. Thank you for all the strength you've given me to live my life though. You're what makes me get through this life, to live every day like it's my last, to never take anything especially time for granted. Thank you for all your lessons. Thank you for teaching me how to be selfless, kind, charitable, inclusive, passionate, hard-working, and ambitious, among many other great things. Thank you for showing to me that you can succeed if you work hard enough no matter what. But also thank you for demonstrating that I don't have to be perfect, I just have to love and take care of myself and everything will be okay. I wish so badly I could tell you how much you've made me a better person face to face. Maybe some day. I hope wherever you are, you've found peace. I hope it's better than here, because you deserve it, more than anyone I know. You were such a kind person for no reason other than for being grateful, selfless, and to give back to the world. I will never forget you, and I'll make sure to keep your memory alive in the most positive light. I will always love you Cory Allan Michael Monteith, you'll always be my hero
