I remember the very first time I ever saw you. You were so small that I thought you were someone’s little sister. I thought Jackson was just being nice letting you practice with us for the day.

You introduced yourself as Mousey and that’s when I knew you were there to stay and would fit in perfectly with our team. Mousey was a strangely fitting nickname for you. Your size definitely matched your name.

You brought jokes and entertainment to practice everyday. Seeing you in the halls would always bring a smile to my face and practice brought even more laughs and smiles.

Small but mighty was an understatement for you. You were small but fierce, sassy, proud and mighty. Your small stature was misleading, for you were a great player.

When I heard of your passing, it was honestly unbelievable. I couldn’t believe our little Mouse was gone.

I thought about all the times at softball practice and in the halls we had together. So many memories in just the two short years we spent together in high school.

It’s always strange how you feel the worst losing touch with someone after high school after they have passed away. You feel like you should have kept in contact, asked how they were doing. You wish you had just stayed in their life.

But we lost touch and we can’t change it now, even though I wish we could. Knowing that you’re gone now, I wish we had spent more time together in high school. I wish I had gone to lunch with you more and hung out with you more. We spent almost every day together because of softball during those two years, but I wish there were more.

I wish we had taken more pictures because the only ones we have were team pictures. That was the first thing I did when I heard of you passing—look through all of my pictures to see if there was just one that we had together.

But I’m glad we have the team pictures because you were part of our team and will forever be.

I wish I could have been there for you in the end. I wish I had known what you were going through and offered you support and some laughter. But now all I have are the memories and I know I will be smiling when I think about you for the rest of my life.

You were a great teammate and friend, and an even better person. You always knew how to brighten someone’s day.

Even though we lost touch after I graduated, I’m so grateful for all of the moments we shared and the memories we made. I will definitely cherish those forever. TJ softball would not have been the same without your goofy little face in the outfield.

Love you, Mouse. Rest in paradise.