Last Updated on September 30, 2010 by Dave Farquhar
We’ll miss you, Kaycee. “The word ‘goodbye’ doesn’t accurately convey my feelings right now. I think the best I can do is au revoir. We’ll see you again.” -Richard Nixon.
Kaycee died Monday. Old news, but I can’t think about anything else right now. I just found out, because I’ve been away from my e-mail for the past five days. Her post for that day started with, “I woke up to hear the birds singing.” I smiled as I read that. The last words of someone else I admire were “Now I can hear the birds singing.” But this guy wasn’t in Kaycee’s league. Not by a long shot.
I won’t go on and on about this. Truth be told, Kaycee and I never met (of course). I read her stuff, admired her courage, her sincerity, and her transparency, and was inspired by her. I still am. In talk amongst friends, I cited her as a good example of strong faith.
And she did something I’m not sure any writer has ever done. She broke my heart. Her story did that to a lot of people.
I’m sure that someday, after my day has come and gone and God has called me home, Kaycee and I will finally meet. I’m not sure what I’ll say to her. Seeing her trust God helped me to trust God. Reading her stuff reminded me that personal stuff is often more compelling than talk about machines. When I retold her story to some friends who don’t have Internet access, they found her inspiring and I think she helped to strengthen their faith in God. Her courageous stories goaded this 26-year-old to grow up a bit.
But I think I’ll just start with something simple. Like, “Thank you for sharing.”
David Farquhar is a computer security professional, entrepreneur, and author. He started his career as a part-time computer technician in 1994, worked his way up to system administrator by 1997, and has specialized in vulnerability management since 2013. He invests in real estate on the side and his hobbies include O gauge trains, baseball cards, and retro computers and video games. A University of Missouri graduate, he holds CISSP and Security+ certifications. He lives in St. Louis with his family.