Dear Numa,

I’ve been trying to find the right words for you, and nothing ever feels like enough. So I’m choosing simplicity, because I think there is beauty in simple words. You never made things complicated — you kept things simple — and that was one of the things I loved about you. And I believe, with all my heart, that the world should know what a wonderful person you were.

I know you were deeply loved and cherished by many. Today, I want to write to you, to honor you, and to tell you that you impacted my life in a beautiful way.

Numa, sabes, dicen que tu delirio era la ropa y los zapatos (you know, they say your obsession was clothes and shoes haha). Let’s start there.

I think back to when I first met you in 2021. Your sense of style was the first thing I noticed, there was such visual harmony in the way you presented yourself. You were so effortlessly put together. And then I had the chance to truly know you, and I realized you were even easier to love than I expected. You were humble, thoughtful, and so kind in the way you understood others.

Now I find myself reflecting more. I think about your laugh, and the small gestures that were so uniquely you. How lucky people were to have experienced your presence.

I remember how I would make you laugh with my nonsense, and now those moments have become some of my most vivid memories. Something I really loved about you was that you never imposed yourself on anyone. There was a gentleness in the way you moved through the world. You made space for others, and because of that, people naturally wanted to step into your world and learn what you loved. I know that was true for me.

Before you, I didn’t know who Bad Bunny was. Facts. That still makes me smile. And thank you, by the way — “Party” is still my favorite track. It’s the one we played the last time we saw each other while we cruised along the shoreline.

Thank you for the times you came with me to see classic rock bands you weren’t familiar with. Thank you for your curiosity, your tenderness, and the way you could enjoy things so fully. Thank you for the small moments I keep replaying in my mind. And thank you for what you meant to me.

Something I always admired about you was how you lived in the present. You enjoyed life, you traveled, you were there — fully there — in the now. We often remind each other to live in the present, but so few of us actually do it. You did. You embraced the moment without hesitation, and I think that is beautiful.

I often dare to imagine my life all at once, and that has the tendency to drive one mad. So thank you, Numa, for reminding me — without even trying — to come back to the now. Thank you for teaching me, through your presence, how to cherish it.

I don’t have the words to fully describe what your absence feels like, but I am grateful to God for allowing our paths to cross. Because of friends like you, life feels more meaningful and more joyful.

I love you, Numa. And in faith, I find comfort in knowing that you are now resting in the presence of God, where you are held in peace and love.

Always,

Nancy

—In loving memory of Numa Juarez Jr., March 2, 1994 – March 29, 2026