Jacob & Nathan

Been thinking a lot today about Jacob’s vibrance and energy. He did so much in his short life and I’m grieving the loss of who he was becoming and what he was going to do next. I’ve thought about Jacob a lot over the years even though we mostly didn’t stay in touch. He was an inspiration to me whenever I saw what he was up to. With Jacob, the possibilities were open and endless. He made you want to get up out of your seat to create and experience something beautiful. 

When I visited him in Seattle, probably 6 years ago, we randomly got invited to what we thought was a normal bar, but it turned out to be the venue for a Chinese street dance competition. We were definitely out of place, but Jacob was never really out of place. It was simultaneously exciting, fun and comfortable and it felt that way because of Jacob’s presence and the hospitality that emanated from him wherever he went. 

After college when I was gonna drive up to Wheaton from KC to visit my brother and stay at Jacob’s place, Jacob flew from Texas to KC so I wouldn’t have to drive all the way by myself. He was someone you always wanted to be around, and he made you feel like he wanted you to be there.

It feels weird to say I’m gonna miss him because I feel like I’ve missed him all these years that we haven’t seen each other much or spent time together.