My best friend’s funeral was today. Last night, as I was preparing myself mentally and emotionally for today, I received a text message from my sister asking if I would like to do the eulogy for Thomas. I couldn’t even describe to you my thoughts at that moment. I was scared. I was nervous. I was afraid I wouldn’t say the right things. But in the end, I wanted to do it… for Thomas. For my best friend. So, to those who would like to read the words I said today at his funeral, here they are:

I wanted to talk first on behalf of our GĐPT family. I know that all of us in GĐPT have a lot of wonderful memories of Thomas because he was such an big part of our lives. I met Thomas through GĐPT, …I don’t remember when, though. He’s just one of those kids you were pretty sure were born at chùa because he’s been in GĐPT since forever. I have had the honor and pleasure to grow up with him as a Buddhist and as a member of GĐPT. Thomas had the spirit of a Buddhist. I think all of us at GĐPT Viên Minh can agree that Thomas was one our most dedicated members. He was hard-working, compassionate, stepped up to every task he was given, and never backed down from a challenge. Thomas and I were in the same lines a couple of times in Oanh Vũ Nam, served as Đầu Đàn’s together, and when Oanh Vũ Nam grew too big and had to split into two large groups, we served as Đầu Đàn Nhất’s together. “Boss Masters” was what he’d like to call us. In Ngành Thiếu, we served as Đội Trưởngs together in Anôma. Then when we were both in Ngành Thanh, I was his Đội Phó. And recently, he became a Huynh Trưởng and a teacher for the Oanh Vũ at GĐPT Viên Minh. So I can definitely say that Thomas was a wonderful leader and an extremely dedicated member of our GĐPT. Thomas and I even made up a few of our GĐPT dances together—that one where we dressed up as high school nerds and danced with the chairs? He was the “Boss Master.” That dance was all his idea. And Thomas loved to Múa Lân, and he especially loved to get on that red board and breathe fire. …no one could breathe fire like he could. He loved to dance. And he loved to sing. He loved being a part of GĐPT. And he loved being a Buddhist.

I’ve been friends with Thomas for as long as I can remember. Not only was he my life-long friend, he was my best friend. It’s one of those friendships where you lose count of how many meals you’ve shared, how many sleepovers you had at each other’s houses, how many movies you’ve watched together, …how many times he’s beaten me on Super Smash Brothers. It’s one of those friendships where I look back on everything and realize that he has never made me angry or sad. It was quite the opposite, actually. Thomas was one of those people who could just light up the whole room, occupy the air with joy, and fill every dark space with light. He had a laugh that echoed for miles and miles. He was one of those friends of mine who, no matter how down I was feeling, made me forget about all my worries and all my problems and all my sorrows, and he could always effortlessly and gently nudge me back into being happy and living in the present moment.

We shared a lot more than just our Vietnamese name. Memories. Laughs. Inside jokes. More laughs. …but no tears, though. Well, actually, I’d be lying if I told you that Thomas has never made me cry. He’s actually made me cry quite a few times… but only because he had made me laugh so hard… and, if you know me and Thomas, that’s what we’d always be doing when we’re together, standing there making Paris by Night and Spongebob references and inside jokes that no one else would understand and then just laughing hysterically while everyone else judged us. And that’s one of the millions of things I’ll always remember about Thomas—his laugh and the way that he could always make me laugh.

I could literally spend days talking about all the wonderful memories I’ve shared with Thomas. He’s always hitting me up for the latest songs on Paris by Night, asking me which song I was going to sing for our next GĐPT celebration. He ate what Livia and I cooked that one time and said it was delicious even though we all know none of our cooking skills could ever compare to Cô Di’s. He never missed the opportunity to call me an “anorexic fatty,” and I’m pretty sure he was the one who coined the term. I even remember one time him and a couple other yahoos sitting in this room right now—looking at you, Don and Jacob—stuffed me in the trunk of his car and then he blared his bass while I was still inside. One of my favorite memories was that one time a bunch of us went to South Lakes park after his 19th birthday party and spent pretty much the entire night light-painting. I can’t even tell you how many Comrade hangouts we had in all the years us Comrades have been best friends. Whenever I went on Spring Break trips, he was there with me. Whenever I went on GĐPT trips, he was there with me. He never missed my birthday. …He even came up to Tulsa to visit me for Thanksgiving last year when I couldn’t come home. He always cheered me on and was one of my biggest supporters. Never once did he doubt me. He was always there for me, no matter what, and without him, I wouldn’t have gotten as far I have.

He taught me how to be a leader, how to be brave, how to be strong, how to be a fighter despite all odds, how to step up to the challenge with his “Don’t worry, I got this!” and “Heeeere we goooo!” attitude… He taught me how to be a best friend. But most importantly, he taught me how to live by laughing at the top of your lungs, loving with all of your heart, and enjoying life with every breath and every step you take. I look back on everything and realize just how lucky I was to have Thomas in my life, and I know that everyone here today feels the same way. He was my hero. He was my Comrade. And he was my best friend. So, from the bottom of my heart and with all the gratitude I have in me, Thank you Thomas. Thank you so, so much for being my friend.