Mitch and I became friends when I was "going with" his brother, Mark, in middle school. When Mark and I broke up, Mitch and I remained friends. Twenty years later, Mark and I ran into eachother. That meant I would see my sweet friend, Mitch, again. Mark and I dated for a few months, but once again, our relationship ended. My friendship with Mitch however, continued.
Although we didn't speak regularly, we began to communicate more often when he found me on Facebook. Good ole' facebook! He always had nice things to say and complimented my non-profit work. Mitch always had a sweet comment on my pictures and stopped by to say "hello" regularly.
Mitch was a patriotic man who served in the Navy, he loved the Clemson Tigers and adored his family. He was a great guy with a huge heart. Through emails I received through Facebook, I could tell he was struggling. One of his messages read "trying to get a grip on things". I asked if he was getting help, but he never answered. Time would go by and I'd hear from him again, "hi beautiful! how are you!?"
Mitch was the kind of guy who made you laugh. He didn't think twice about saying something positive to make you feel better, even if he felt like crap. He was a sweet, thoughtful guy.
I never made that call. I thought about it several times that day, but life's busyness kept me from it. Two days later, through Facebook, I learned Mitch passed away. He died the same night he reached out to me. That was tough. I cried all day.
I made the trip to Hickory, NC for his funeral. I felt like it was the least I could do and he was worth the six hour drive. I don't have the kind of ego that causes me to believe I could have saved him, but I don't deny that I wish I'd called.
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