Simply A Friend

Today, as I was at work and running between filling sodas and grabbing food, I felt my phone vibrate in the pocket of my pants.  Thinking it was probably Zack I took the phone out briefly to be sure that there was no emergency at home.

Only...it wasn't Zack. It was my mom. And the text she sent me said simply:

Tom Stelter died.

I read it once. I re-read it.  Then re-read it again.  My brain couldn't comprehend what I was reading.  I immediately left the line heading through the kitchen while feeling my head spinning and my jaw was agape.  

I don't remember how I did it but I somehow made it back to the manager's office, found a chair, and lost my mind!!!!  

Quite honestly, I made a spectacle of myself sobbing uncontrollably.  You know, the real ugly cry with heaving where you are unable to even speak.  Two managers surrounded me and tried to figure out why I was creating this scene.  I didn't want to do this in front of people I hardly knew...but I couldn't control it either.  

Who was Tom?  Simply a friend.  But that does not do justice to the closeness we shared.  Our families have been friends for 43 years.  We grew up together and shared countless memories.  His parents are like my second set of parents (I even call them Mom and Dad S. and the Stelter kids call my parents Little Mom and DaddyO) ...he was like my brother.

Thankfully, it only took about 5-10 minutes to regain my composure and I was able to return to work.  But my heart is absolutely aching for this family and what they are going through.  

Even worse is how they found out he had died.  

He lived in Huntington Beach, California and was scheduled to fly in to Daytona Beach this morning for a week long vacation.  Mom S was at the airport to pick him up and so excited for his visit.  But he never got off the plane.  

Feeling a knot in her gut, she made a call to her younger son, a police officer, who called the Huntington Beach police and asked for a well being check.  Needless to say, that did not turn out well.  An autopsy is being done but early indications are that he had been dead a couple of days.  

I am simply sad and heart-broken right now.