Mot Maria Salem

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I've been trying to find the right words to say for a situation like this, but I’ve realized that there are no right words. On Saturday, September 14, 2019, at 1:47 am Jad Salem, my brother, best friend, inspiration and hero passed away. After 6 years full of hardship, struggle, hope and despair, laughter and tears, you have finally moved on to peace. After fighting such an exhausting battle, you deserve to rest Jad. Because you fought the battle and won the war in our eyes.

Winning doesn't necessarily mean surviving. Winning is defined by how you carry yourself through your journey, no matter what obstacle gets put in your way, and not a day went by when you

didn't face those obstacles while making me laugh to the point where my stomach would cramp, and smile to the point where my cheeks would hurt, no matter the amount of pain you were going through. You were a superhero, and you proved cancer wrong, you proved everyone wrong because you never let your sickness control you.

You put cancer aside and decided to learn magic to cheer up other cancer patients because you had to make sure that everyone around you was happy, or at least smiling, regardless of how you were feeling, but what you didn't realize is that, along the way, you, Jad, became magical. cancer was powerless over your

beautiful soul, amazing personality, outlook on life and, of course, your legendary sarcasm. You had a laugh that was so inf ectious and so powerful that it would fill up a whole room in a second, and a smile so bright it could light up the world.

You spent 5 years, 9 months and 20 days going through life in pain but with a smile on your face. that's 2119 days. 2119 days surviving and protecting everyone around you because you couldn't bear the thought of not being strong for your family, especially your little sisters. And now it's only fair that I do the same.

I promise to be strong. To be okay. I promise to take care of Mina   and everyone else. I promise to live, and do crazy stupid things like you did when you jumped out of a 3rd floor window into a pool because that is how you would be remembered.  As the amazing, insane daredevil that reached for the limit no matter what trouble he had to face along with it. I know you’re in a better place now, probably with Yara and you're running and smiling, because you finally have your freedom restored and you're flying amongst other angels and, most importantly, you're now pain free and at ease.

Lastly, I promise to do everything by you, and to spend every hour of every day doing my best to make you proud like you made each and every one of us proud every single day. You took care of all of us and now it's time for you to take care of yourself. I love you Jad, we all do. And this isn't a goodbye, it'll never be goodbye because, as you once said, "Goodbye doesn't mean anything.

It's the time we spent together that matters, not how we left it." And we had the best memories from real life call of duty fights behind the couches to pranks to real life conversations to your very last breath.

So, until I see you again, big brother. Thank you for everything and may you rest in peace.

Maria Salem