Today, I attended Jayh’s funeral.
These were the things the people closest to him chose to highlight as they spoke about him and his life:
- His humor. They loved his wit, his sarcasm, and his sense of humor. He knew how to make people laugh and he did it often.
- He made people feel safe. And when you grow up in a rough neighborhood, this is one of the highest feelings a person can give another. Even one of the speakers who was at least 2x or maybe even 3x Jayh’s size said it. Jayh was a protector. Jayh was fiercely loyal. And Jayh would do anything for the people he loved. And he had a big heart, described by many as a heart of gold, that touched the lives of so many.
- He brought people together. He was the type of person to show up at your house and hang on the porch with you for hours on end. He was the type of person who would call to check in, crack a joke, set up a meet, talk crap, or talk life—real life. He would get people together to play football, basketball, music… and so many people talked about how hard it was going to be without him. They called him the general of the block because he was always leading everybody else towards each other. He was the center. He was the catalyst.
I share this in hopes that, even though you might not know Jayh, parts of him can continue to live through you.
Because whenever we chose to embody actions inspired by another, they get to continue to live through us.