Dear Tom,
You never expect to lose a teammate. In the five years I've run cross country, I've watched ankles break and legs collapse, but everyone always seems to bounce back. When you got injured, I suppose a lot of us figured it would be like that. But we were wrong. I couldn't tell you which was worse, finding out you were gone or watching our team break down over it. We found out together, so at least everyone was there to support each other. But it was very obvious in that moment just how much you meant to everyone there. Since I never got a chance to say goodbye, I wanted to write to you the things I would have said had I gotten the chance.
I wish I could say I knew you better. Despite all the dinners and team activities, I never had to opportunity to really become close to you. I regret that so much. You were one of the first people to make me feel welcome on campus. You would smile and wave at me every time we passed, so enthusiastically that I felt like I was wanted there. I would have loved to be your friend. Even now, I am learning more and more things about you that just increase my respect. I was moved when I found out that not only are you a donor, but you willed people to donate to a charity. You just never stop giving. Even though I may not have been as close to you as I would have like, I was still devastated by your loss. I can only imagine how difficult it must be for those who had the honor of being a big part of your life.
Your love for adventure was inspiring and your dedication to everything you did was impressive, but I will miss your sense of humor most of all. You always made me laugh with your mid-western accent and the crazy poses you took on for pictures. I remember at the UW meet when you were trying to climb that tree before the race. Everyone was yelling at you to get down, but you just kept trying to reach that branch. Always the adventurer. Of course, it was that adventurous spirit that led to the accident. But you lived more life in 19 years than most people do in their entire lives. I like to imagine you would be proud of that.
It's never easy to lose someone. And when that person is as vibrant and full of life as you were, it makes it that much more difficult. I can't picture you in a hospital bed. I will always remember you smiling wide for a photo at the top of a mountain, exhilarated to be doing what you loved. Because that's who you were. A dorky, adventurous, friendly soul who impacted everyone around him. You will be missed.
