It’s not often you meet someone who is genuinely nice – someone who will literally drop everything for someone to help, even if it’s not for a “best friend.” Mike was one of those people. In fact, he might be the only person I really have gotten to know that is just an all around good person.

In a moment of brilliance, I left my car keys on Nantucket which was a big problem when I got to Hyannis at 9:30pm. I didn’t know what to do. I found Mike’s number in my phone book from when I had first met him the summer before. I didn’t know him very well, but I took a chance and called him. He was ready to drive me, someone who he didn’t really know all that well, back to Boston so I could get my spare keys then drive all the way back to the Cape … in one night.

I can’t recall another time when someone has shown such generosity and compassion for me … even though it was my own stupidity that got me into the situation in the first place. I’m fairly sure that my best friends would not have offered to do that for me. It’s something that I will always remember, and I hope some day I can take a page out of Mike’s book and show that same generosity and compassion to someone in need.

My heart goes out to Mike’s family.