I went to school with Jason and Laura at mccallum. I hadn't seen Jason in years. Had seen Laura a couple times while shopping at heb. I was just thinking about some of Jason's pictures he did in maybe 10th grade. He was always SUPER talented with art. He wld almost speak another language with the art teacher like he was teaching the teacher something. I dont have any old pictures to share or anything and like I said I wasn't in his inner circle of friends but I always enjoyed hanging out with him and any classes we had together. Always loved to see any art even doodling the teacher he wld do. I'm so sorry for your loss (his family). I dont know what it was that punched his ticket but whatever it was he was far too young and the world lost a highly talented genuinely good person.

Like all of you, I've been struggling with this....the what ifs, the why's and did this really happen?... and regrets. Regret is relentless and heartbreaking. He wouldn't have wanted that for anyone.

I'm fortunate though, because in the last year of Jason's life, he came to live with me for several months. We listened to old favorites, Kate Bush, Portishead, Ween, we cooked, watched movies, went on a couple of road trips, and we laughed a lot...and we had some very big conversations. He told me about his adventures and tried to convince me to go on some with him... but I'm not adventurous. I don't jump from airplanes, or move to a foreign country, or do ayawasca in a Peruvian jungle... and definitely not while wearing crocs.

But he was there with me and for me, and there was love, and

I remembered the little boy that used to draw me pictures, and crawl in my bed when he was scared, and tell me prince was on mtv, and put weiners in the vcr just to see what would happen. And he was still my baby brother.

I believe Jason was always looking for home... never feeling like he completely belonged. He spoke of a feeling of being pulled by something big that beckoned him. He described it as such a peaceful beautiful feeling. Jason didn't choose to leave, but I think he didn't choose to stay either. I have to believe Jason finally found what he was looking for. I have to believe he's finally home and he is finally at peace. I'll miss him, but I know we'll see him again. 

From Tatum, Jason's niece:

The trouble is you think you have time.

You never think this is the last.

Or this will never be again.

There are so many things ill never again.

I'll never hear his laugh when he'd succeed in frustrating me, and boy did he know how to tease me.

But the older I got I realized he taught me to not take things so seriously.

I'll never get to go to another concert with him.

He Took me to my first one mabye the only one ill ever go to.

I dont know if he knew how cool that moment was for me at that time.

I had never experienced something that spontaneous before.

Thats how he lived he wanted to do somthing, so he did it.

Nothing stopped him.

He had connections all over.

Ill never get to see the stupid tattoo I told him to get when I was little, of a gangster panda jumping with bamboo.

It was the craziest thing i could think of telling him to get, fully beliving he wouldnt.

I dont even remember how old i was.

But he loved the idea and he always kept his promises.

He taught me to love the weird and the slightly desterbing art in life.

He is and always will be a huge inspiration to me in my own art.

I'll never have another Thanksgiving with him.

I'll never have any other holiday with him.

No matter how late he'd be, he'd always show up and start the party.

I remember one special 4th of July he brought a bunch of fireworks and we had our own fire work show.

No other 4th has been better than that one.

Death is more universal then life.

Everyone dies, but not everyone lives.

Jason lived.

He lives on in the love of his loved.