Mid-February Shouldn't Be So Scary

When I walk around cemeteries, I am always fascinated by the headstones. Some are modest, little plaques that say nothing more than a name and a date. Some are crazy large monuments. Others are strange symbolic figures that are comparable to abstract modern art. But, no matter what they look like, they are a very real signifier that beneath the stone - and my feet - lays a person who was once loved - is still loved - by many.

This plaque above will be on the back of Jamie's headstone.

His headstone. Did I just type that? It still feels unreal. I'm still waiting for him to send a text that says "JK everybody! Did you miss me?" I wouldn't even be mad. I had this sinking feeling in my chest as they closed the casket over him - would he be lonely? Was there enough space? Can I see him just a moment longer? When they put him in the ground, I had similar thoughts: would it be too cold for him? - It became very real. He was gone, and it was time to say goodbye. I just hate(d) thinking about him being under the ground when he belonged above the ground. With his wife. With his friends. Flying planes.

I let myself slip into denial from time to time. Maybe it's not healthy, but it's true. Sometimes, I just want to pretend he's still around. That I can send him that text. That he will still be taking my brother to lunch in the near future. That we will see him and the wife at conference and we will all play conference bingo together.

So, seeing the plaque brings me both joy and sorrow. Joy that we have all made it this far. Sorrow that we had to make it at all. It makes me sad that people may stand over his headstone, doing what I do so often when I walk through the cemetery... they will wonder what happened to this young man. Where are the people that love him? They will wonder at what his middle name was, and they will always be wrong because they won't know that it only ever was D. It makes me sad that people will pass by his headstone but not know him. They will not know his love for cherry dipped cones. They will not know his funny laugh. They will not know that he loved Firefly or Tomcat F-14s or F-18 Super Hornets. They will not know about how he proposed to his wife. They won't know about Lolita or his mission to South Korea or any of his funny sayings: Make all 100's! Remember who you are! Don't embarrass the family! Now - get out of my car!! They will not know that he achieved his dream and they will not know the pure love and joy this man embodied. His selflessness. His spontaneity. His steadfast faith in God.

Instead, they will simply know his name.

They will see his plaque. They will wonder - and then they will do what so many of us will struggle to do for the rest of our lives: they'll move on in a different direction.

I suppose that I'll have to visit him sometime. I know the story. I won't have to wonder. Not about this man. I will be able to stand at his headstone and know - remember.

And it is a beautiful plaque to be mounted aback a beautiful granite headstone that will appropriately mark the beautiful resting place of a truly beautiful human being who, to use the word one more time, brought a love of beautiful things to my life and the life of many others. So, this headstone brings me sorrow. But it also brings me joy. Sorrow that the world lost a truly righteous, honest, loving man and joy that, in this moment, I get to remember him...and Him...in such wonderful and powerful ways. Joy that I ever had such a friendship, and sorrow that it will be such a long time before we see each other again. Joy that the plaque brings a comfort, marks a milestone, signifies a wonderful life lived. Sorrow that comfort is needed, that milestones are being reached and that his wonderful live isn't still being lived.

So it is bittersweet. But it is beautiful. Just like he was.

My words for the rest of you.

I wrote my letter to Jamie.
Now it's time that I try and share the greatness that he was (and will always be) with you.

Jamie D. Patel is one of the greatest men I have ever met. He loved unconditionally, he laughed whole-heartedly and lived every moment to the fullest. He was the big brother and friend I needed, especially in those turbulent adolescent years. He was a pillar to lean on.

I met Jamie on a beautiful summer day at Dewey Park at a church function. He was meandering around with the elders (one who has gone on to become one of my dearest friends) when I suddenly approached them in hopes of guessing their first names. I succeeded quickly with the two abnormally tall elders... but I struggled with Jamie's name :) I finally settled on Andy. He didn't like that. Upon him revealing his name to me... I decided he looked very much like a power ranger ought to - and decided I'd just call him that: "Power Ranger Patel." So I did, and he liked it :) And just like that...we were friends.

Jamie quickly became one of the most meaningful people in my life. He would drive all the way from Atsugi to Sagamihara just to chat when I was feeling down. He'd demand that I take his CD's and burn them so that I could have some good music :) He'd force me to watch Seinfeld at the most ungodly hour of the night so that he'd have someone to talk about it with. He'd watch at his little barack, and I'd watch it in my brothers room - and we'd IM about it :) Haha.

Jamie was an amazing example to me. He couldn't go to institute classes overseas, so he opted to take seminary with us seminary kids. After seminary every day, he'd drive me to school. Sometimes he'd even pick me up BEFORE seminary (which was a big deal cuz that means he was at my house at like... 5 am) when I had no one else to take me. Sometimes we'd just sit in his car and talk about things. He had to write me late-notes to school several times because we'd been chatting in the school parking lot 20 minutes into school :) As I would start to get out of the car he would say "Be good. Get all 100's. Remember who you are! Don't embarrass the family..... now get out of my car!!!!" It became such a common interaction between us that we'd say it in emails, texts, over the phone...facebook.

Jamie wrote me every week from his mission. Before he left, he gave me a plant (named George) and a guitar. I loved both of those things to their end. He inspired me to compose and perform my very first piece of music. In fact.. the song was for him! I've got it stashed somewhere... when I find it... I'll post it.

I remember when he finally got home... he had the worst flight home imaginable. Apparently he kept being hit in the arm by the stewardess's cart!

We did so many fun things together... and he did so many fun things with/for my family. I feel like I could write all the stories right now... and maybe eventually I will post them all.

It's hard for me to explain exactly what this world lost in Jamie's passing. He was a light that couldn't be dimmed. He was able to share that light with a beautiful and amazing woman named Jessie. I'm so happy he was able to spend the last moments of his time on this earth with someone as fantastic as she is.

Jamie D. Patel was my brother. The best brother that a girl could have been given.