I know my son has a gentle heart. Others figured this out too. He is funny and caring. He had great eyes that exhumed joy and invited you in. He is a looker, and you could not help but smile back when he walked into the room. I don’t have an adequate vocabulary to describe him to you, but in simple words, he is a gentleman.
He is giving and gracious; a gentle soul, who sparkled, casting love, happiness, goodness, into the hearts of everyone who had the pleasure of knowing him.
My son was inclusive. His friend group was very diverse. They were from five continents, of varying religions, races, sexes, and sexual orientations. He didn’t care if you believed in things that were the polar opposite of him. He always had a way to make you feel welcomed. His friends, who I never met before, sent me stories about him. Though continents apart, I can connect with his friends through these stories and social media conversations. We can share a piece of my son with each other. Their descriptions of his personality were consistent.
“Your son was so generous and put himself before others always. He was our knight in shining armor.”
“He was loved by everyone at camp and was very popular with the girls. I can speak for everyone at camp when I say that he was the nicest guy there, never had a bad word to say about anyone, and he was just great to be around.”
“He was always laughing, joking or smiling; he was such a positive soul that radiated his happiness onto those around him.”
“He as being a joker was always laughing and smiling. He was full of enthusiasm for whatever trip or activity we had planned next. Spending time with him was guaranteed to be fun because he had a great sense of humor and excellent comic timing, always making a witty comment or putting on a face! But he was also kind, and generous and sweet. He was an all-around wonderful guy.”
He only had one girlfriend, and she broke his heart. Heartache may have caused him to be more guarded, so romantic relationships were few. He did, build many deep platonic relationships, and I hope he knows how much people love him. He was consistent and true to his personality showing kindness and chivalry.
My son was a counselor for two summers at a camp in Pennsylvania. There, he received the honor of “Best to Take Home to Mom and Dad.”
Camp friends called him JT, short for Justin Timberlake, because he looked like the famous singer, and my son loved to dance.
He became good friends with many of the camp counselors. It would fit one was a dance instructor. They confided in each other, as trusted friends do, and they danced. Right after my son arrived at camp for the second year, he ran up to her, excitedly recruiting her to co-choreograph the talent show dance for the “non-bunk” staff.
My son was a romantic. I call him a romantic because of the writings and presents he gave his girlfriend. He meticulously chose each present, and his letters were truthful coming from deep within his heart and soul. For every gift he gave, to each person, he thought them through, so it was personal and meaningful. His sister and I were fortunate to shop along with him as he sought out the perfect gifts.
As an adult, he still loved Disney movies and music. He also loved the sultry voice of crooner Michael Bublé (Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby are the most famous crooners) and had a musical playlist titled the same. He would join his father, sister, and me in holiday movie marathons while we wrapped Christmas presents. He carried one of them into a comedic skit while having a video conversation with college friends. His friend from Barcelona shared this story with me.
“We met at Montana State University (MSU). The 6th floor of the dorm was mostly comprised of international students and few stragglers from the States. We all became good friends. After the end of the school year, in May 2014, your son went back home. One other of our friends, from the UK, and I stayed at MSU for a bit longer. Your son called via Skype (a spoken conversation with someone over the Internet using the software application Skype, typically also viewing by webcam, Dictionary.com).
Your son was recreating part of a scene from the movie The Holiday, to make us laugh (as you can tell from our faces at the bottom right of the picture). The love-stricken protagonist becomes Mr. Napkin Head at the plea of his two young girls.
When I think of your son, these are the kind of things that come to my mind. He was always ready to make everyone laugh. He always wanted to do activities, engage with outdoors, taketrips to the mountains or goskiing. If we had a bad day, he was the first one ready to watch Disney movies with popcorn. He would sing to us. Songs from “Frozen” (Walt Disney Studios, 2013), were his best performances.”
A person who loves the movie Frozen has to be a romantic. In the secondary storyline, the hero helps the heroine save the town, and they fall in love. The music is fantastically beautiful, playful, and free.
He was the best friend, romantic companion, brother, and son, anyone could have.
His sister recently told me “He was blessed with the best personal traits, beyond what his family had.” He was funny and sensitive. He had a great style and was incredibly handsome. He was not pretentious, and he put others before himself. He was smart and loved to learn. He was the best friend, romantic companion, brother, and son, anyone could have. We miss him every day, beyond whatever you could try to imagine or feel.
If you knew my son, please share your story with us. You may share them through the Contact Page, or comment at the end of the blog post. You can also contact me through Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. I build off each little conversation or correspondence you have with me when you tell me about my son.
REFERENCES
Timberlake, Justin. TROLLS (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack). RCA Records, 2016, Spotify, Spotify Link
Walt Disney Animation Studios; directed by Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee; produced by Peter Del Vecho; screenplay by Jennifer Lee; story by Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee, Shane Morris. (2013). Frozen. Burbank, Calif. : Walt Disney Pictures
Meyers, Nancy. Block Bruce A. (Producer), & Meyers, Nancy. (Director). (2006). The Holiday [Motion Picture]. Distributed by Columbia Pictures domestically and by Universal Pictures overseas
