Kevin J. Thompson

He is something I lost and will never be able to replace.

We met a hundred years ago, on a trip down a river (whitewater rafting). The moment I saw him and our eyes locked, my life changed forever. I never thought in a million years we would talk or get to know each other… The next couple of years were filled with just that. A long distance love story (at least that’s the way I saw it). We were young… He traveled the world working on the rivers in the summer and the mountains in the winter. We would see each other when we could, and we would write letters about how our worlds were. I still have every single one of them.

The last time we saw each other, I had gone to LA to his friends house. We went to dinner and then back to the house so he could show me the latest video he’d been working on. He had such a talent. I left that night with only a hug. I didn’t want to let go, because I felt that I would never see him again. I remember driving home that night and I was soooo tired. I almost fell asleep at the wheel… something that never happens to me. Anyhow, I got home and sent him an email. He replied and that is the last time we ever spoke.

I have tried to find him over the years to let him know how much he changed my life. I know he kept doing what he loved… I have reached out to a mutual friend, so I know he knows I have been looking for him… I sent him a letter, thanking him for being a part of my life and the impact he had… I just want to know that he got it. I never will…. and I have to be ok with that… I will cherish the time we had until the day I die.

I leave you with the quote he gave me that has helped guide my path…

A journey of a thousand miles, must begin with a single step. _Lao Tzu