.144 Alex Newton

At some point during 2013, I went to visit my dear friend Shane while he was working in Georgetown. During my quick hello, I was introduced to one of his colleagues, Alex. Alex was charmingly kind and I quickly picked up on the fact that he was both incredibly smart and wildly modest. I saw him a couple more times over the years, but it wasn’t until just a few months ago that we reconnected and I was able to grow my friendship with and gratitude for him immensely.

To put it simply, Alex circled back into my life when I really needed it. After I was furloughed in June, Alex reached out and offered the counsel and comfort of being “accountabili-buddies.” He wasn’t offering a false promise. In less than a week, we had weekly calls scheduled to talk through our to-do lists, our goals, and the struggles we were facing. He was direct and approachable, kind and compassionate, and he’s such a wonderful listener on top of it all. He’s genuinely sweet and cares so deeply for those in his life, and I honestly felt better every time we spoke. One of my favorite things about Alex is his brain - he is always thinking, always thoughtful, and reminds me of what it means to be respectful and intentional with your words and actions.

Alex, thank you so much for being such a crucial part of my life this year and for bringing me a friendship I didn’t know that I needed. Thank you for being so gentle and helpful, and thank you for listening to me rant about all-things work and personal projects. Thank you for being so loyal and trustworthy, and thank you for being such a good human being filled with dignity and empathy. I’m so grateful to have you in my life and can’t wait until the next time we see each other. Thank you, Alex, for being you.

-BD