I haven’t known you very long, only a few months to be honest, but I was there when you died.

We met when I was working, you came in fairly often, always getting the same thing with that silly grin on your face. I can’t fathom the fact that you’re now gone. Taken from this world too young in the same place we met. I know I wasn’t the most important person in your life, but you were important in mine. Even though I was moving at the end of summer you took the time to get to know me.

You quickly became one of my best friends with your quirky personality and unimaginable positivity. When you came into the bar you got flustered and blushed all the time. When we finally spent time together outside of where I worked you quickly opened up to me and told me about your life. We could have fun out in public together or just sitting in your backyard drinking beer and playing fetch with your dogs. If I wore my ripped up jeans you would put your hand in the knee hole and yell “BOOP!” every time. We made plans to go fishing and skydiving and you were going to visit me in California. You were working towards west coast goals. You made some of the worst jokes. Seriously, so many bad puns. But I loved it all, you were the best kind of friend.

The last text you sent to me was on August 18^th and it read “well hope to see ya some time, hope you have safe travels and do good in your studies. you’re a beautiful and awesome person autumn, you’re going to be someone great. Good luck.” And then I saw you less than 12 hours after that. We had a few drinks and a few laughs; I stole your red lighter and told you the rose you picked for me was in my car. You smiled that cheesy smile and laughed that goofy laugh. I thought you left. I thought you went home to your dogs and that I would see you another day.

I couldn’t have imagined that I would be holding your hand as multiple people compressed your chest. A gunshot wound below the heart, I thought I had heard a firecracker. I was ushered away from you and you were taken to the hospital. As quickly as I followed, I was definitely not the first one there. You are so loved, so many of us went to the hospital to wait for the verdict on your life. Every single one of us were crushed when we were told the end result.

You were taken from us at 29 years old. You had so much potential and positivity to give to this world and it was taken over what? Some drunk at the bar with a gun? There is no one on this Earth who had the right or a reason to take you from us. And I know that there isn’t anything I can possibly do to bring you back, all I can do right now is cry, and try to work through the numbness.

For you Travis, I promise to be the best person I can possibly be for you. The rose you gave me and the lighter I snagged from you will always stay in my possession and remind me to be the kind soul that you were.

You will always be in my heart, you will always be in the hearts and minds of many.

I hadn’t known you very long, but I knew you, and I love you.