Got a call Around noon that you never want to get...
My best friend of recent years, Paden Kelly, died this week from medicinal complications surrounding testicular cancer. A recovering heroin addict, we lived in the same sober houses for over a year beginning in the summer I moved to Austin. Paden was the #2ranked offensive lineman coming out of high school, and played at UT for 2 seasons before smack got a hold on him. I looked petite next to this motherfucker- 6'8"/335- a mountain of a human being. The kindness and compassion in his heart matched his physical stature. We had many conversations, laughing and crying into the wee hours of the morning. The kind of friend every person should be fortunate enough to have, if just once during their lifetime.
We grew apart in the fall of 2015...I had started drinking again, and he moved to Colorado. We kept in touch sporadically, and he was the type of friend where you could take up right where you left off and talk for hours about anything.
When I was going through my phone list to send pics from the Buddhist temple to people who I truly loved, his email address popped up, and it was a no-brainer to forward it to him. The attached message was "I wish you happiness!" My only hope is that he was able to read it before passing, knowing that I still cared deeply for him, and that I had finally found a place where I was finding peace with myself.
I'm absolutely numb. The biggest, strongest person that I ever knew, cut down in the prime his life (28) by a handful of tiny pills. It's hard to wrap my mind around the fact that I will never see him alive again, and only the memories and love that he created during his short time on this planet will live on.
Bless you PK. You were one of a kind...God broke a giant mold after he made you. Losing you makes me want to live a better life to maybe make up a tiny fraction of what you had to offer this world. You were a massive presence that others could anchor themselves to, and ride in your wake through times both good and bad. I hope heaven has Little Debbie Cosmic Brownies for you to share with others in the Great Beyond.
Peace out Brother.
