A man who knew how to live

This is a blog post I’ve been trying not to write all day, for so many reasons. I’ve been trying to post more about marketing as part of my job search. I’ve been trying to think about other topics all week. I’m not sure, even, that it’s my place to write something like this. Writing this makes me face a reality for which I’m not ready. But as I sit down to write, I find myself with only one topic.

My friend Steve Cappelli passed away suddenly last week from a massive heart attack. In a way, it wasn’t entirely unexpected. Steve had his first heart attack at age 38, so he was pretty sure that’s what would get him in the end. On the other side, it’s never “expected” when one of your dearest friends just stops being there.

It's never "expected" when one of your dearest friends just stops being there. Click To Tweet

Steve  and I became friends years ago over a shared love of riding motorcycles, but over time, we found we had more and more in common. I thought of Steve as my cooler older brother. We were a lot alike, but for everything that I was, he was more so. He was always faster than me at the racetrack. He was a better cook. He knew wine better than I did. He was smarter than me. And more than anything, Steve knew how to live. He set aside the things that didn’t matter to make room for the things that did. He enjoyed great dining, and great wines, and great experiences of all kinds. He married a great woman who I will always love and admire.

More than anything, Steve did the things he wanted to do to enjoy his life to the very fullest. But more, he made it so that other people, people like me, could see that it was possible. Because Steve was always about making the possible real. He helped me through many a moment where my own possibilities seemed very limited, and showed me the way through.

I love you, man, and I’m gonna miss you more than you’ll ever know.

In pace requiescat.

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