Today is my best friend’s birthday. He would have been 27. Taking a break from blogging politics to celebrate what would have been TJ’s 27^th birthday. This guy had nothing but potential and would have been the most successful person I know. Everyone loved him and we all still do.

What’s funny is, TJ and I didn’t get super close until sophomore year of high school, but we grew very close, very quickly. It seemed like we didn’t go a day without hanging out. By junior year we were inseparable. So much so that I would be at his house every night after school for dinner and even called Laurie (his mom) “mom”. Senior year was more of the same, except we were seniors so we had cars and more freedom to get into trouble J Of course we never did.

We were separated by distance once he went off to JMU, but our friendship did not suffer. He didn’t get to enjoy college for too long, unfortunately. Cancer hit spring of sophomore year at JMU and by early fall (2002) he was gone.

These days I think about him often. The picture above sits on my desk at work so he’s on my mind often. I think of him at the oddest times, usually when I’m doing something that I know he would’ve loved. “T would’ve loved this,” I say to myself. That happens a lot when I’m just hanging out playing with Ava. TJ would’ve loved her and she would’ve loved him. I tear up thinking about the good times we could’ve had together. He was going to make a great father and we often talked about our kids playing together when we finally settled down.

I know I’ll see him again and honestly, when I think about my time to go, I smirk knowing that I’ll see his smiling face again on that day.

Happy Birthday friend.