Cachita Maki

RIP, brother. @kylekollmorgen
The best way to explain one of my oldest and most meaningful friendships is to tell you how it began.
When we moved to Nebraska, I was being severely bullied in third grade. One day after school, I saw the biggest kid in our class, Kyle, getting bullied too. This little shit had him on the ground, hitting him, and I just stood there in shock. The person I thought was the strongest was hurting too.
Then my mom showed up, like the badass she is, pulled that kid off him, and wrapped Kyle in a hug. From that day on, we had each other’s backs.
We never said it out loud, but we didn’t need to. There was never judgment between us, just support. We shared the same humor, strong opinions, and shared the love of filling a room with energy, and most importantly, a deep loyalty to our families and friends. His level of calm was something I always admired. He was smarter than he ever let on, and an incredible writer.
His love for his wife and kids was everything. I’ll never forget being in college when he told me he was getting married. I laughed and said, “You don’t even have a girlfriend,” and he said, “I met the one.” And he did. Truly his first love. I had never seen him light up about anything more than football... until Kristy, Payton, and Brecken.
He once shared a poem with me that said:
“In my second act, clouds will gather around me.
In my second act, I won’t talk to ghosts…
I know God is real.
For I know who I am without Him.”
Please keep his family in your prayers and all who loved this larger-than-life man.