A little tribute to Sweets
It still hurts every time Sweets crosses my mind, and I don't expect things to be any different anytime soon.
That said, I've learned to accept what happened. It was for a good reason, a great one even: John's career. I can say that I am a fan for life and that I will continue to support his work, and I wish him all the success in the world as he continues to pursue the next stage of his career. Based on what John said, truly it wasn't easy for him to say goodbye to a character he essentially grew up with, nor was it easy for any of his on set family. I can never resent him for chasing his dreams, nor can I hold a grudge on SN, HH, who thought that it was their job to "to celebrate his success and wish him well and have him go on to wonderful things."
As for Sweets, sure, he died. And while I could easily dwell on all the things that could have been, I would not. Four and a half years ago Sweets had his brush with death in that subway car. Only hours later, as Hodgins was driving him home, Sweets told him that heartbreaking "I don't want to disappear without living the life that I want to live."
Well, Sweets lived a full life, and in the end, he was at peace with himself.
He had to go looking for his birth mother when he came of age. His son will have Daisy by his side from day one.
He didn't know what family meant until his adoptive parents saved him. His son will be surrounded by a loving family, and Sweets knew he had left him in good hands.
He said of his foster father, “I was beaten … he did it for sport”. This time, Sweets fought back.
And while we'll never get to see it, he did finally find his way back to Daisy. I'd like to think that he enjoyed some sort of a domestic happiness with her upon learning of her pregnancy, however brief that might have been.
In the end, Sweets had no regrets. And what a fitting end to a life dedicated to helping others. As I said on twitter yesterday, Sweets died like he lived. He may have been fictional, but the virtues that he represented (and will continue to remind me of) are not. Sweets had a truly good heart, and I, for one, will miss him very much.
I thank Hart Hanson for creating this wonderful character. Thank you to all the Bones writers for fleshing him out over all these years. And finally, my thanks to the great John Francis Daley for sharing a story of the life of this flawed yet beautiful soul. Thank you.
