Remembrance
I lost a great friend yesterday. The news of Jeffrey Lee’s passing was a complete shock, an out-of-nowhere occurrence that caused the walls of sensibility to come crashing down. I’ve had trouble coming to terms with this; today at work, I spent the entire time just sitting in front of the computer, looking through old pictures of us from high school.
I wrote this letter to help me through this tough time:
Hi Jeffrey,
When I first met you in 7th grade Band, I was awestruck not only by your height but also by our common interest in the French horn. We shared such wonderful memories throughout middle school as stand partners, from learning scales to competing over who could hit the highest note.
After you left Band after 8th grade, I thought I had lost a friend. It turns out that our love for the Lakers and for USC football quickly formed a sturdy foundation that would propel our friendship through high school. All those times cheering for Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush and Mark Sanchez are memories still very much etched in my mind.
Our adventures continued in 10th grade when we participated in the VA Medical Internship. From our confusion over MSAs to ranting about Dr. Lin, I believe the two summers in the program with you was time well spent.
Perhaps my fondest memories of you are in Spaceset. Remember our trip to the ISSDC finals in Houston? 48 hours of torturous work with sprinkles of arguments and food runs and naps during the supposedly essential morning presentations. Followed by the announcement that we had won the competition! That was such an immeasurable feeling of ecstasy, and I’m truly glad to have shared that moment with you.
After graduation, we sadly lost touch, and to this day this remains one of the great regrets of my life, that I did not maintain my friendship with one of the brightest and most promising people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. Four years after graduation, I have yet to meet an individual who so seamlessly combines intelligence, passion for life, loyalty, and a genuine sense of caring, an incredible amalgamation that you have long mastered.
As I browse through our AIM conversations and pictures of us from high school, I cannot help but cry. Even one of my last conversations with you reveals a brief yet tear-inducing exchange of Tabish:
Kevin: weren’t you preparing dinner hours ago?
Kevin: HAHAH
Jeffrey: yupp
Jeffrey: majj fail
Jeffrey: we marinated the meat
Jeffrey: and then they went shopping
Jeffrey: and didn’t come back til recently
Jeffrey: -_-
Kevin: yikess
Kevin: ahahahah
Kevin: alright, i’ll tty when you get back :)
Jeffrey: yupp later buddy! =DI know we shared many more exploits together, whether in freshman year water polo or in Chemistry Honors or in AP Biology. But please know that with each word I type, my sadness grows further. While this letter may not entirely do our friendship justice, know that I will carry your memory with me to the ends of this Earth.
Take care, my friend. I’m really going to miss you.
Kevin Nguyen
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