I wanted to tell a story about a best friend and soul mate of mine....
Mine and Caleb's paths crossed many times in our lives.
We both went to Hume-Fogg.
He was my first date in high school and we'd ran into each other downtown a few times.
When he contacted me on Facebook in July 2011 I had no idea how a few messages would impact my life. Caleb invited me out to karaoke later that week. I nervously circled the club several times before I finally worked up the courage to park & go inside.
After catching up I told him how nervous I was and he admitted he was afraid I wouldn't show. It was also at this point he said "I am absolutely mad. I'm schizoaffective".
I went home that evening both excited & scared of what that meant.
Caleb asked me out again but I had a headache that night. He was at a friends house a mile down the road. He said " Okay. I have some music for that. I'll be right over."
An hour passed & I started to get concerned until I heard a knock at the door. There Caleb was with a bike covered in sweat. "I accidentally biked the long way around" he said while trying to catch his breath. He put headphones on my head and said "These frequencies & tones will take your headache away". I placed my head on his shoulder and listened. That was the moment I fell in love with him.
It was easy to fall in love with Caleb. He made me laugh almost every single day. My fondest memories are the simplest. He would dance in the kitchen cooking breakfast singing into the spatula.
He made me stop & appreciate the calm, simple moments of drinking coffee on the back porch watching the squirrels while he pointed out the different kinds of birds.
Caleb made everything fun. One morning he was wearing a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle hoodie & he prompted a discussion about 'Geriatric Ninja Turtles". Caleb said one would have a walker to which I replied "Carpel Tunnel dude".
But Caleb's face really lit up when he was working on and recording music. He was so proud of his studio and would convince anyone he could to work on music with him. He was happiest in his studio with his many musically-talented friends. You guys really gave him such joy.
Caleb brought joy & positivity to so many people's lives in spite of dealing with a lot of inner turmoil. Caleb & I loved & laughed intensely. In spite of the trying times, we overcame many odds and I am thankful and grateful for those wonderful moments.
I'd like to share a part of a Ben Fold's song that Caleb played on piano & sang to me on one special occasion.
"I don't get many things right the first time,
In fact, I am told that a lot.
Now I know all the wrong stumbles
And falls brought me here.
And where was I before the day
That I first saw your lovely face?
I am the luckiest."
I consider myself the luckiest to have shared a life & love for as long as we did.
Caleb rarely had acquaintances.
He was friends with anyone he met & he would do anything for a friend.
I think that anyone who knew Caleb was the luckiest.
