Hug Your Friends Today
It came as a random Facebook message from a former co-worker in Spokane. He said, "I hate to tell you this way, but Caitlin has been presumed drowned."
How do I even take that? Caitlin. Ok, I know which Caitlin we're talking about. She drowned? When? How?
Just this week, a news story from Coeur d'Alene crossed local news here in Boise--three boaters were missing from Lake Coeur d'Alene. I saw the story but never did I think I would know one. A boating accident on the lake resulted in 3 fatalities and a former co-worker and fellow student at Gonzaga University lost her life at a young age of 21.
Caitlin Breeze was a normal girl from Spokane. She was an even better friend. The night I found out my girlfriend had been cheating on me, she dropped everything and walked who knows how many laps around a high school track with me at 1:00 a.m. When I wanted to quit school or a job, she told me I was dumb and to stick it out. She was a person you ALWAYS knew you could call. Caitlin and I ran in completely different circles and lived at entirely different paces of life. She never slept, always had fun, and I had no idea how she had so much energy. She was someone that "got me" and I "got her" without even needing to be around each other much.
Whenever I saw she was out having fun on snapchat, I made sure she wasn't drinking tequila without me. She'd usually reply with "ITS GIN MATEO!" Tequila was our jam.
Friday afternoon she sent me a text to say hey, it had been weeks, maybe months since we last talked. I've been in Boise taking on a new job here at 103.5 KISSFM. She was living up her summer break before a senior year at GU. I didn't reply to that text on Friday. I was "too busy" when it came in. The world lost Caitlin Saturday evening. I trust she knows I always appreciated her but damn I wish I would have said "hey" back.
I learned a lot of things from all of this--but most importantly, I learned this: thank your friends for being your friends often. You're NEVER too busy for a "hey".