Freshman Dalace Thomas’ 16-year-old cousin, Jalen Thomas, passed away from a heart attack on March 26.
By DALACE THOMAS – Staff Writer
Freshman Dalace Thomas writes a letter to her cousin, Jalen Thomas, who passed away in March.
Dear Jalen,
There are so many things that I wish I could tell you to your face. Things that I would much rather look into your brown eyes and say, but I can’t because you’re not here. You have passed on to bigger and better things. But, here is my letter to you saying everything I need for you to know.
I want to tell you that I am sorry for all the times I got you in trouble when we were little. The times when I would run and tell Mema that you were being mean to me. I would laugh and you would be giving me the “death stare.” Five minutes later, I would run back to you and tell you how much I loved you while laughing because I knew I was the reason you got in trouble in the first place.
Remember when everyone from the family would be at Mema’s house and all the grandkids would try to pull an all-nighter, but we were all asleep by midnight? Or the times when there would be nowhere to sleep at Thanksgiving because there are always so many people at Mema’s house?
My favorite memory is when Mema and I were on the way to pick you up and I saw you and ran to you and gave you the biggest hug. I wrapped myself around you and stayed that way for at least two whole minutes. You kept telling me to get off of you, so that you could go get your very unorganized bag and put it in the car.
I wish I could say that we could continue to make memories together. That I could continue to get you in trouble about stupid things or that you could continue to make fun of me for having no upper body strength or eating way too much key lime pie.
I wish I could run to you again and tell you how much I love you, but I can’t because you’re gone.
You died March 26 of a heart attack. You were only 16. You had so much life left. You were supposed to grow up. You were supposed to go to prom and graduate from high school. You were supposed to go to college and get married and have a good healthy happy life, and now you don’t have those opportunities anymore.
How am I supposed to just accept the fact that you’re gone? What am I going to do when I want to talk to you or see you? I have so many questions about why this happened and why it had to be you. Out of all the 16-year-old boys in the world, why did it have to be you?
I am trying with everything I have in me to be O.K., but I’m not. Everyone keeps telling me I have to be strong for your sisters and that I have to know that everything happens for a reason, but I don’t want to be strong. I want to cry. I want to miss you.
I wish I could tell you this in person but, I love you Jalen. I love the person you were and the good things that you brought to the family. I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you just how much I loved you when I had the chance. I didn’t tell you that you meant so much to me. I’m sorry that you died not knowing just how much your life impacted this family and every single person in it. I will always remember you in everything that I do.
I will remember your smile and the way you loved life. The way you loved this family, and the way you loved me. Rest in peace, Jalen.
Love you with everything I got.
Your cousin, Dalace
