I cried harder the day Aaliyah passed than I have in any memory I can recall. She wasn’t just cool—she felt like a promise that things were going to be alright. This is a beautiful post and a fitting tribute to her legacy, as well as to the trail you’re poised to blaze through the influence she’s had on you. Writing and remembering like this honors who she was and shows how her work, ahead of its time, continues to inspire and move generations.