Thursday, May 28, 2026 7:30 am

LEBANON, Maine - When you're up on a rock-climbing route, you're not thinking about falling; you're looking for the next hold. "Where do I put my foot? What if I flag with my left and reach with my right? Can I fit a toe there?" You see how far you can get. You top a few routes (hopefully). You find peace in the moment. And those little wins are what you take away. Not the falls. Because life is a gift to be experienced, not lived through.

If I can offer some perspective: wake up grateful. Grow from suffering. Love as deeply as you possibly can. Vanity is the enemy of virtue, but also, fun clothes are nice :) Always be kind. Savor the menial. Strive towards your goals. Remember your little wins.

Looking back on it, I had a lot of wins. I don't think I stopped and recognized that enough. As an actor there was Peter and the Starcatcher where, ironically, I grew up a lot; Titanic at the Rep when I was 14; studying Commedia for a month in Italy; then, Arlecchino with my mom and my sister, Shaughnessey, such a blast; Granite State Proud; Mark Twain's Folly; American Buffalo; The Play That Goes Wrong. too many more to list. We made a ton of cool theatre together.

I made some cool stuff on my own, too. I built my own bouldering wall, made my own holds, renovated a camper van and traveled across the country, co-hosted "Return to Sender" - a climbing podcast, and made lots and lots of music. Pretty sick. I loved setting my mind to something and getting it done.

I loved healthy eats, designing lights, "Betrayal Legacy" nights with my sister, working on getting stronger, passionate people, deep conversations, a well-timed cup of coffee, cool mornings at Rumney, and the way the sun hit the trees at dusk.

Every climb must come to an end. But sharing the journey with those I loved and feeling that love in return, that's what made it really special.

With Love,

Griffinn

(Griffinn Gower of Lebanon, Maine passed away due to aggressive cutaneous T-cell lymphoma on April 4, 2026 at the age of 24.)