I woke up this morning earlier than I intended to and laid in bed for a while trying to talk myself into getting myself up and ready for work, already knowing it was going to be one of those days. I had just about worked up the motivation when my phone ring …

“I have some really bad news … (Name Redacted) had a heart attack last night and passed away.”

He was a work colleague. Not a terribly close friend, but close enough. Only 47 years old. Very, very close to his wife. A devout Kentucky Wildcats fan. One of those guys you feel like you just know. Always around to chat with or just provide a smile whether or not it was needed.

Just yesterday I stopped at his desk, and we were joking about wasting the work hours away on Facebook and how it’s such a great tool to reconnect with so many old friends.

Now his Facebook status is stuck on Monday: “(Name Redacted) is spending his day off spring cleaning and watching a beautiful snow out the window!” On his wall, notes his friends and colleagues have left to wish him Godspeed and thank him for the memories. One particularly beautiful passage from another colleague:

Life is eternal, and love is immortal,
and death is only a horizon;
and a horizon is nothing save the limit of our sight.
~Rossiter Worthington Raymond

What I’m trying to say is remember to appreciate who you’ve got before they’re gone.

You’ll be missed, friend.