One thing that Reid and I both shared a passion for was music. Having him accompany
me with piano or guitar while I played violin were some of the greatest times I have ever had in
my life. Sometimes we would even stay up until four in the morning playing any and all genres
of music together. He would always love to play for all of his friends and family and would
easily win them over with the soul he put into playing.
Reid would always get so excited whenever we would play together that I felt our mutual
love of playing together brought us even closer. Music wasn’t just about the joy of playing, but
the memories and emotions we tied to it. We would play music for any occasion or any emotion,
which might explain why our music library grew so quickly.
After he passed, music became more important to me than I would ever know. I stopped
playing initially because it hurt to bring up any memories that would cause me to be sad and cry.
Even listening to music on the radio was making me emotional. But little by little I started to
play again. One thing I noticed about playing again was that it was healing to my own soul. All
the memories came flooding back in and I realized that this was one way I could connect with
Reid that went beyond time or space. It was like being with him again and that made me happy.
I will never forget Reid or all of the things he brought into my life that made me the
person I am today. He taught me love, integrity, wisdom, and so much more. He gave me the
drive to “keep moving forward” (his favorite quote) so that I could achieve higher levels in my
life and career. When I play music now, it is a tribute to Reid to thank him for everything he has
done for me.
