Abbas Jaffer

Brother, look at where we started and where we have gotten to.

You are one of the first people I remember seeing when I came to America on Halloween. You were my first example of what it looked like to be a young man in America and showed me that it was possible to do everything.

You inspired me with your outlook on life, your ability to study for any exam and ace it, and the way you always seemed to think more openly and more modernly about the world.

We were two kids playing GoldenEye 007 on your Nintendo 64 and then playing Zelda until I dropped cake inside your controller. Somehow, the fear I once had of you turned into a lifelong friendship.

That is what has made you more than extended family to me. Extended family members can sometimes lose touch, but you and I will stay connected forever.

I will never forget the lifelong impact you have had on me—from playing video games together on a television to feeling like we are now playing the video game of life for real. I am so proud of you.

I want you to officiate my Islamic ceremony, and there is nobody else in the world I would want standing there and doing this for us.