Life of Wry

Karim Majdi Abou Najm would have turned 21 yesterday, but he was killed six months ago. Karim was stabbed two nights after David (and Kimberlee a couple nights after that, though she survived) in that very scary week in Davis last April.

The community was invited to honor Karim last night at a birthday memorial hosted by his family.

Karim’s mom, Nadine, shared a beautiful (and tearful) remembrance of Karim, her only son. Of course it was very difficult to watch her read her comments, shaking and emotional, and trying to imagine how devastating it must be to lose a child at the dawn of his adulthood. Both Nadine and her husband Majdi spoke of Karim’s many gifts… his academic successes (the parents are both academics), his enthusiasm and drive, his open heartedness, his kindness and compassion toward other kids who, for one reason or another, felt outside the center. She spoke of how, when they arrived from Lebanon just five years ago, Karim was put in remedial classes at Davis High, which, after having been a high achieving student back home, bothered him greatly. That was quickly remedied and he went on to graduate from DHS with the highest of honors and achievements. In fact, on the night of his murder, he was riding his bike home from a ceremony at UCD at which he’d been given an academic award. He was just weeks shy of graduating with a degree in computer science.

The birthday gathering last night was moving. I estimate about 100 or 150 people showed up to honor Karim and support the Najm family. They placed a line of luminaria from the family home in Evergreen, across the 113 bike overcrossing and along the bike path in Sycamore Park to the point where the stabbing occurred. Nadine and Majdi have been maintaining a memorial in that spot for the last six months. There will soon be a permanent memorial built at the site (which so far has generated more than $40k in support from the community). They served cookies and Karim’s favorite drink (coffee) and played songs from a favorite playlist of his. People wrote cards, placed flowers.. and I’m sure every parent there tried to imagine how they would ever manage such a loss.

The whole thing — the flowers and tributes, the luminaria, the music, the comments, the slideshow and especially the turnout — was so very beautiful. I felt honored to be there. I finally got a chance to speak to both Nadine and Majdi. It’s a bit odd that we’d not spoken before, especially considering we spent so much time together in briefings and in the courtroom at the competency trial a couple months back.. but those were emotionally charged times and it seemed best to give them space. It was wonderful to finally speak with them both.

Here are some shots…