Farewell, AJ Perez: I do not know you, but I wish you well as you go.

Antonello Joseph Sarte Perez, more popularly known as AJ Perez, dies at 18.

I had no idea who he was until he died. I do not watch local entertainment very much. But still, I mourn him: Someone so young snatched from our world by an untimely death. That I knew him very little does not matter to me, at all. A death is a death and we all must mourn our dead, for we are all born of the same earth and must return to the same stars.

I have always had an undiscriminating empathy for those who pass away and those they leave behind, regardless of whether I knew/know them at all. With the recent passing of my father, that sensitivity has only grown deeper, especially for those who meet death at such a young age and by accident. That sort of shock, pain, and loss is undescribable.

Antonello Joseph, brother in the earth, I wish your spirit strength to fly to the land beyond the setting sun, beyond the curtains of this world, beyond pain and strife and sorrow. May your memory and legacy live on in the hearts of those who love you, and your guidance shine on those you love.

I pray for the same peace for all who have died today. In truth, may the Ancestors receive you all in love.