What Aaron Means To Me by Allan Chamrad

Brilliant wordsmith, hardworking his whole life, funniest guy I know, strong mentally & physically, witty, confident, curious, intense, knowledgeable, formidable, challenging, lovable, encouraging, private, eclectic, engaging, insightful, an understanding friend, well-read, autodidact on many subjects, partner in crime, a man for all seasons. My buddy forever. And I love all those things about Aaron.

I will never meet another person like my friend Aaron for the rest of my life. That's what makes him so special. That’s what makes this so hard and sad.

Our friendship was forged back in elementary school, solidified in high school, perfected in adulthood. Over thirty years our friendship grew stronger even though later in life we may not have seen each other as much as we would have liked.

But I like to think of our friendship as boundless. That it cannot be separated by time or space. Aaron and I, growing up together, built a shared worldview that stretched from our childhood experiences to adulthood. This unique perspective touched and affected everything in our lives. And we used it to try and make sense and engage with the world.

I cherish that. I’m so glad I have that with my friend. Its something I will always have from him even after he is gone.

The very essence of our friendship. Knowing you have someone you shared something with. You love and care about them for that. And you are bound together by that history and friendship and it colors in how you engage with the world. That bond never goes away. That way of looking at the world with someone never goes away. That is my friendship with Aaron. That's what Aaron means to me.

Thank you for that and thank you for everything. You’re the greatest.

You remarked to me once how you thought in the end, when it was all said and done, that we were Highwaymen and just like in the song we would be “back again and again and again and again.”

You always know what to say brother.

I love you.

-Allan L. Chamrad III

Every person is unique, and sharing each person's uniqueness can help to keep their memory alive. As you reflect on your time with Aaron, consider sharing with others: 

What made Aaron Holcomb different from most people you know?

"Aaron Always had a big smile for me. And he always said "Aww Mammo." He never butted in when people were talking but waited till their conversations were over Then he would talk. Sometimes he would say “ let me think about it “. He would roll his eyes 👀 sometimes when he was thinking. He dearly loved to bake cookies and ice them to see whose were the best. Always hugged me every time he saw me"

Love, Mammo