Jared S. Olds

Hi, my name is Darien and I'm Jared's sister. 

I lost my baby brother and best friend to a self-inflicted wound during the summer of 2020.

Funny, smart, and (much to my dismay) tall, Jared was beloved and admired by all who knew him. He proudly served his country in the U.S. Navy and his loss is truly immeasurable.

Good at everything, J was charismatic, friendly, warm, humble, and effortlessly funny. Being his older-yet-underwhelming sister has always been a character-building role (pause for laughter).

In true favorite child fashion, Jared loved his momma twice as much as he loved himself (which was a lot), and never cared who knew it. He was beloved by all of the women in his life because of his kind heart and was even the self-proclaimed 'baby whisperer' in Children's Church. 

It's hard being the un-friendly sibling, but one of us had to provide balance.

As cliche as it sounds, Jared would do anything for anybody who asked, even people he didn't like. He couldn't turn down an opportunity to make someone's day better. Prideful almost to a fault, he loved being the bearer of good things.

I started the hashtag #lovelikejared as a tribute to the way J lived his life. Everyone who knew him has a story about how Jared positively impacted their life whether it was his wicked sense of humor or his compassionate nature that helped them through a hard time. Jared never did anything halfway and he never wanted anyone in his life to either. 

My goal in this project is to immortalized Jared's legacy and hopefully inspire others to reach out, share hope, and start a conversation.

As a depressed person myself, I am not foolish enough to believe that one act of kindness is enough to win the war. But maybe it's enough to win today's battle. Maybe it's enough to light a spark that turns into a flame, a desire to seek help, to keep fighting. Maybe it starts a conversation. I'm consistently reminded of a quote our grandmother had on her fridge: "Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind."

Til Valhalla, Brother

I hope you see how deeply you are loved.

I only wish our love was enough to make you stay.