in memory
I could have stayed longer and shared stories about their brother. But I didn’t because I was uncomfortable around strangers and I don’t have special stories to tell. He was a quiet student. Though his classmates frequently teased him for being quiet, he didn’t say anything bad nor reacted negatively. He didn’t bother to join in any commotion or mischief that his classmates carried out. He was like cut off to the wackiness and unruliness of people his age… like he genuinely enjoys being alone, unpopular, and detached from his classmates.
I feel that Leonard’s siblings and mother want to hear a story about their brother and his son to remember him well. To be reassured that somehow their brother/his son lived well, even for a short time. Like everyone else, maybe they fear that they might forget how he was when he was still alive. They fear that they might not have enough memories of him to hold on to. Maybe that’s why in a funeral we try our best to remember something good about the one who passed away.
In memory of Leonard Kevin de Aro (18yo), may he rest in peace.
