Dear John
Your sister and I are drinking and playing Rock Band and talking about you. About whatever game you were playing you wanted an army. You wanted followers to lead against someone. It didn't matter who, "Can you kill that guy?" Sound familiar? Remember that Christmas we spent playing Hero Quest? You, Kristen, Ji-Hoon, Kat and me. It was snowing and we just played all day and night. Kristen was dungeon master and we used every single loophole you could find (and a few you invented).
How about the way you were so good to your mother? Or the way your father was so proud to see the man you became and play golf with him? Despite the way you used to make his blood pressure skyrocket. How about when you made your oldest sister feel ridiculous and then made her part of the joke, like you were making fun of some caricature of Julie. Or the incredible staggering love you had for your two beautiful nieces. What about the affection you had for the damn cats you were allergic to? Best of all, the way you and Kristen were the ultimate best friends and co-conspirators. It was you and her against your crazy family, against the world. She misses that. You've left a gaping hole in her very being John. The boy she defended, the man she was so proud of.
Believe it or not in the few years I knew you, I placed you among my best friends. I went through your pictures on this ridiculous website tonight. Been on the verge of tears for hours. You made me feel welcome from the first. The memory is still fresh. You reached for my hand like you had been waiting for me to show up for years. As I got to know you and everything you'd accomplished I felt some dim reflection of the fierce pride your family had in your every success. I talked about the musical/mathematical brand of genius you held. Or the way you were building an army of young talented musicians to do your bidding.
Bottom line is you are loved and missed. Everyone who knew you even a little misses you. We and the world are truly less and lacking something essential without you around.
Happy Birthday John. You would have been 31 today and still only just coming into your potential to conquer the world.
How about the way you were so good to your mother? Or the way your father was so proud to see the man you became and play golf with him? Despite the way you used to make his blood pressure skyrocket. How about when you made your oldest sister feel ridiculous and then made her part of the joke, like you were making fun of some caricature of Julie. Or the incredible staggering love you had for your two beautiful nieces. What about the affection you had for the damn cats you were allergic to? Best of all, the way you and Kristen were the ultimate best friends and co-conspirators. It was you and her against your crazy family, against the world. She misses that. You've left a gaping hole in her very being John. The boy she defended, the man she was so proud of.
Believe it or not in the few years I knew you, I placed you among my best friends. I went through your pictures on this ridiculous website tonight. Been on the verge of tears for hours. You made me feel welcome from the first. The memory is still fresh. You reached for my hand like you had been waiting for me to show up for years. As I got to know you and everything you'd accomplished I felt some dim reflection of the fierce pride your family had in your every success. I talked about the musical/mathematical brand of genius you held. Or the way you were building an army of young talented musicians to do your bidding.
Bottom line is you are loved and missed. Everyone who knew you even a little misses you. We and the world are truly less and lacking something essential without you around.
Happy Birthday John. You would have been 31 today and still only just coming into your potential to conquer the world.