Junior Jackson Granstaff won’t shake your hand.
He’ll hug you. He’ll give you big, bear hug that nearly suffocates you, a hug that makes you feel loved, makes you feel like he’s sincerely happy to see you.
Tyler was like his older brother. He always looked up to him. He always will. To Granstaff, Tyler was the kind of person who was nice to everyone. He could strike up a conversation with anyone he met, or make new friends easily. He can’t help but look around him and see all of the great things Ty has done.
He led the soccer team in a record-breaking season. He supported his friends when they felt alone. Tyler brought everyone together. The school. The community. Even beyond the school district — Lancers from around the nation have come together to honor his memory.
“We didn’t do this,” Granstaff said. “The memorial, everyone being out here all the time, we didn’t do it. Ty did.”
The best part of his day used to be Anatomy, and not because he looked forward to learning about the human body. It was because of Tyler. Granstaff would spend those class periods with Tyler and a few other guys, laughing, joking, talking. Ty would brighten his day, make him laugh, make him happy.
“He’s just a funny guy,” Granstaf said. “I can’t even explain his sense of humor.”
Granstaff’s mission is to be more like Tyler every day. To be kinder. Sweeter. Nicer. To be better. And he’ll do that day by day, hug by hug.
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