EULOGY OF ARIS AMOR FOR PATRICK ZALDARRIAGA

You always watched wrestling. Remember how you went through days on end just talking about the recent matches? You demonstrated the finishing moves so vividly with your hands that sometimes you teetered almost off your crutches. We would just listen and watch your fighting spirit – and envy you for having it. The funny thing is that you didn’t fight people.

You had your own monsters to fight – monsters we cannot begin to describe. You fought valiantly, and won every time. In every single bout, every grueling battle you’ve endured, not once have you given up so easily. You’ve always remained so composed and strong and happy. And we would just wonder how you could be so happy through what seemed like torture.

It was your happiness that was the true disease. Everyone caught it eventually, even with just a few minutes of being around you. You always managed to make people smile and laugh – regardless of how they were feeling at the time. It was pure contagion, and we all enjoyed it. We all enjoyed having you around. We barely brought up anything sad while talking to you, and you didn’t seem to mind our questions about how it all felt.

We knew how much you fought, and we knew that you didn’t want to know what could happen – you just focused on what would be better. And you won every time. Sometimes you didn’t realize that you didn’t have to fight to win. You were always persistent, no matter the situation. You were really made of the will of heroes.

It was right for you to go last Saturday. June 12 is when we celebrate Independence Day and when we praise and admire our heroes. It was also on this day that you won your independence from the physical world and became a hero for us, the ones who knew you.

Congratulations, Patrick, once again you are one step ahead of us, and happier than we can ever be.