Dear Tyler, two weeks ago, Monday I looked down at my constantly buzzing phone as reports and tweets flooded in about your passing. I spent the next handful of minutes in shock, unable to call anyone, close my jaw-dropped mouth, or do anything but let tears roll down my cheeks. I didn’t want to believe it. A similar feeling is creeping up on me now.
I called my mom and told her what happened, and listened on the phone as she went through a similar process sitting in her cubicle at work. The rest of our day and night was spent trying to grasp what happened, unsuccessfully.