I have been trying to find the right words since Saturday night. It feels like trying to snatch water out of the air; I just can’t grasp or hold on to anything of value, anything that would bring relief or comfort to those you have left behind. There are no words to express the immeasurable sense of loss that we feel, that we will all carry with us from now on. Nothing I can say will fix this or make this easier for anyone.

I’m sorry that this happened to you. I’m sorry that I didn’t appreciate you more while you were still here. I’m sorry that I let so much time pass without seeing you, thinking that there would be a next time. I’m sorry that I didn’t realize how much you meant to me until now.

I don’t know if I believe in an afterlife, if a person’s spirit lingers on, but I really hope, for your sake, that it’s true. I hope you can see that Jenn is taken care of, that we all love her and are here for her. I hope you can see how many lives you’ve touched in the too-short time you were here. Most of all, I hope you can see how very much you were loved.

You’re a fucking hero, Daniel, and I’m so thankful to have been your friend. No one on the corner got swagga like you.