The month of July was hard, July hurts. Marking one year since our fearless leader the founder of The Beat Within and my dearest, beloved husband, best friend and business partner David Inocencio left this world. I believe his heart was too pure, gentle and good for this cruel world, so the Lord called him home, I hope you are resting in peace by his side. July also marks our wedding anniversary and we also matched the day of our first date. This July we would have celebrated fifteen years together and nine years married. I thought we were going to have so much more time together and I grieve for the missed years or our future, but I am so thankful that I have the beautiful memories that we made together in work and play.
We did so many workshops together and also special events, poetry readings and ice cream socials. We did a few memorials but I never imagined one for David. I am so thankful for everything he gave to the world and what good fortune I had to be a part of his orbit. The work is now my buoy and my own anchor and life line! We are all so fortunate to be able to continue the unique legacy of The Beat Within.
What do you say about legacy? What is the legacy of my dearest beloved husband, David? The legacy of The Beat Within? David always used to say “The Beat goes on.” He always said “until the wheels fall off.”
Well last year the wheels came loose for sure. Just as the world was finally painfully starting to “go back to normal” after the COVID global pandemic. No one knew when we quickly pivoted to remote workshops that it would continue to be the “new norm” for a few years twenty four to thirty six months in some locations. David worked tirelessly at this time to make sure all locations continued to receive weekly topics and bi-monthly magazines. David and I would scour the neighborhood grocery stores for the particular flavor chips that youth had asked for. We did Zoom workshops and I drove everywhere to deliver magazines. Faithful Beat Within writers contributed more than ever before. As COVID faded and David and I tried to visit workshops again in San Diego and we looked forward to traveling again with trips to Lake Tahoe, New Orleans and New York, we enjoyed time with family and special adventures.
So what is a life’s legacy? It is his gentle soul, love, smiles, honesty and trust, empathy, compassion and grace? Being real and keeping it 100 is always what David was about. I believe that is the legacy to believe in those that struggle. David believed in treating everyone with respect and honesty. I like to ask myself what would David do?
I was so fortunate to have David’s love. He brought me into his life and then also into his life’s work. We facilitated workshops together side by side and also apart as we worked to build and grow The Beat Within. We left the birth office of New America Media and ventured into the world on our own. Taking control of our own destiny as the program continued to expand. No one ever imagined doing this work without David, I certainly didn’t. But that is our very responsibility. To continue his work, such important work. We still know of no other program like The Beat Within. We are one-of-a-kind. With our amazing bi-monthly publication we keep it one hundred and real. We tell the stories no one else hears.Your truths and struggles are what everyone can relate to.
What do you say about his legacy? That it is strong and still going! David would be proud of you and of all of us. He would be so proud that we have survived one entire year in his absence. Everyone in The Beat Within community continues his legacy in their own way and we thank you for helping us to continue the mission. My dearest husband, I try to march on through the tears, but yours are very big shoes to fill. This is David’s legacy, The Beat Within community. You reading. You writing. You artists. You working to facilitate workshops. You that donated your hard earned dollars to support this work. You are all important parts of the legacy. Thank you for believing in The Beat Within and thank you for making it possible to continue this work and mission into the future.
-Lisa Lavaysse, Widow Inocencio, Executive Director