To My Friend Jason

“I wish we could all do this together.” – Jason
“Why don’t we?” – Me

It’s hard to put into words the things I’ve felt in the past 365 days. To call you a friend is an understatement. When we first got to know each other seven years ago, I instantly knew I had met someone who was a kindred spirit. Our friendship grew through our mutual love of the trivial things from the past. And when we decided to collaborate and launch The Retro Network and give like-minded creators a place to gather and remember the good times along with us, I got to know the Jason beyond the internet.

Talking daily about online things and our personal and family lives, I quickly came to greatly admire you. Your enthusiasm, your kindness, your humor, and your just good all-around nature became infectious. To the point that my life changed for the better. It’s very rare to say you have a true friend so many miles away, but you became my best friend. Years of never meeting in person didn’t matter. I felt like I knew you for as long, and better than the people I see every day.

I looked forward to our many daily conversations, and it’s been so hard to go through each day without you to talk to and laugh with. There is a hole in my life and in my heart that I’ve yet to find a way to close. When people ask about you, I still can barely find the strength to get through the conversation.

Your kindness towards, and concern for your friends, family, and even strangers always impressed me. I still try to reach the bar that you set in that regard, and still fall short every day. With the pain of not getting to talk with you comes the realization that we can’t take the ones we love for granted. We need to tell them, remind them, and show them that we love them. Often.

I love you my friend, I miss you, and I continue to try to be as good of a man as you were, and to be a friend to others as you were to me. This world is darker without your light in it, but we’re trying. Rest easy my friend.

And that’s the way it was,
Mick