Whenever you talk to someone, especially someone with unique characteristics, there’s often a catchphrase or motto they live by. For my bestie Anthony it’s, “Just trying to make it.” Now, he never says this in a defeated way, or like he’s on the verge of quitting. No, my interpretation has always been that he’s just trying to survive. Everyone is cognizant that we don’t live in the fairest of worlds. Anthony is no fool to that. He just takes everything with an even stride and goes about his day.

Our story begins in the wonderful nonprofit Make a Wish about 7 years ago. Anthony was without a doubt a fan favorite in the office, and he took me under his wing. Unfailingly friendly, we we’d go out to lunch every chance we got and truly bonded. We bypassed the coworker relationship and went directly to friends. 

A friendship continued to blossom throughout years and various adventures. I left Make a Wish and Anthony would follow suit soon thereafter, but the phrase has stayed alive through the struggle of making it in corporate America. So whenever we text each other to see how we were doing, his response, “Man I’m just trying to make it.”

Anthony has always been someone I can rely on. Whenever I need to move, he’s been there. Whenever I need help with something, he moves stuff around. A single father of two, this man deserves a true blessing because he’s always willing to lend a helping hand. Luckily I’ve been able to give back to my friend as well. Through my struggles with mental illness I made him more aware of how to deal with people in those situations. Not to mention when I have been going through my own personal struggles, he’s always been there for me.

For someone that is so preoccupied with responsibility, Anthony always makes time for the people he loves. If there was ever a wish I could’ve made at Make a Wish, it was to have a person like him in my life. Fortunately for me, my wish came true.