... as penned by Aidan Ratnaraj.
I'd like to start by saying that it would take a lifetime to do justice to the complex and
beautiful soul that was Julia, but that won't stop me from trying.
Julia was weird, and that is the greatest honor I could possibly give her. It's a word she
used to describe herself a thousand times, and one that I hope to embody for the rest of my
life; because weird is not a bad thing. To be weird is to be strong, strong enough to do
the things that you love, no matter the opinions of others. Strong enough to truly love
Star Trek, even while others scoff and dismiss it. Julia was strong enough to ignore the
thoughts of others, yet wise and kind enough to never forget their feelings. She had an
incredible gift of empathy, and it showed in every facet of her personality; even in the
depths of her deepest depression, Julia could sense with a glance when someone else was
unhappy, and she would shrug aside the mountain on her shoulders to help me lift a pebble
from mine.
Julia's empathy, and her imagination, was so great that she felt deeply the emotions of
fictional characters, one of many traits she shared with her twin sister and best friend.
She could absorb herself into the world of a book, movie, or comic and feel not only the
sorrow of their losses, but also their triumphs and successes as if they were her own. She
solved mysteries with Sherlock Holmes, and overcame Voldemort alongside Harry Potter; my
sister lost a friend when David Tennant retired as Doctor Who, and made new ones among the
Guardians of the Galaxy. She always rooted for justice, but not at the expense of story
structure.
Parallel to her love of the art of others ran Julia's own gift for art, which grew and
evolved into what can only be described as genius. Her works convey emotion and depth far
beyond her years, and if an average picture is worth a thousand words then Julia's
paintings, drawings, and even doodles are worth a million. She created amazing and original
pieces that would strike awe, sorrow, joy or a thousand other emotions in the heart of any
man woman or child, and she would listen to music and watch TV at the same time. Speaking
of music, Julia loved to dance, and she did so with confidence and a free spirit that at
times I envied. The Bee Gees and Queen spoke to her through music, and she spoke back
through movement, adding to the song a little piece of her beautiful soul.
Because of all of this and much more I've found myself asking over and over again: what
would Julia want my life to be like? …
I always come to the same conclusion: Julia would want nothing more or less than the best
life I know how to live, full of happiness and love, adventure and mystery, a life worthy
of stories told around a campfire years after I'm gone. She wanted all of us to chase our
dreams, to shoot for the stars, to live a life deserving of no regrets. So I ask all of
you, who loved her so much, to go out and do the things you think it's too late for: learn
to play an instrument, or ride a horse; discover the origin of the universe, or just spend
more time reading good books.
I know I will.
