My Adventure Buddy

This is a repost from my Facebook page, first posted on January 15, 2024.

I am heartbroken as I grieve the loss of my dear friend Chloe Medlock who passed unexpectedly on January 3.

I’ve been dealing with my grief by thinking of Chole and going through photos. So please indulge me as I share some stories and photos about this beautiful soul and the gift of her friendship.

Chloe and I first met back in 2011 when I was 35 and she was 9. She was the pastor’s daughter at a church I was attending at the time and, despite an age gap of 26 years, Chloe and I formed a friendship. Like all the Medlocks, to know Chole is to love her. She was an intelligent, outgoing, fun, sweet, humorous, perceptive, and compassionate little girl. It was a joy to spend time with her. We were kindred spirits and she quickly became my adventure buddy. Whether we went to lunch after church, out shopping, up to the Mid-State Fair in the blistering heat, or on a road-trip to California Adventure we always had a sensational time together.

She was mature for her age and I’d sometimes forget she was a kid and talk to her like I would another adult. On one such occasion, when Chole was about 13, we were walking through the Target parking lot. I mentioned that one of our mutual friends found out she was pregnant after peeing on a stick in the Target restroom. After a brief silence Chole asked, “If a woman wants to know if she’s pregnant, can she pee on any stick?” We had a good laugh after I provided some clarification. This was one of the many things I loved about Chole, conversation and laughter came about so effortlessly.

Chole absolutely loved Caesar Salad! When Chole was 11, I took us to a fancier restaurant than usual in downtown San Luis Obispo for an after church lunch. She ordered the Caesar salad and it was served wedge style with a few anchovies draped over the wedge. She was speechless. I asked her if she knew that ground up anchovies are one of the ingredients in Caesar Salad dressing . . she did not. Despite this horrifying revelation, she moved the anchovies to the side of her plate and enjoyed the salad anyway. My heart has been clinging to this endearing moment as I grieve. Even when thrown a curveball, this kid could negotiate a situation with grace.

Chole loved children and babies and children and babies loved Chole, they gravitated towards each other. She was always so kind, patient, and nurturing with them. It wasn’t rare to see an adolescent Chole walking around church with a baby strapped to her body in baby sling. I remember being in awe of her, when I was an adolescent I did not have much interest in people that weren’t my own age. Due to this, I secretly worried that Chole might reach an age when it wasn’t “cool” to hang out with me. But, to my relief, that never happened.

In 2019, ahead of Chole’s senior year in High School, her family decided to move to the east coast. I wasn’t worried about it impacting my friendship with them. Thanks to social media, texting, and airplanes we’d stay in touch. But, then the pandemic hit and scrambled everyone’s lives. I became reclusive, something I didn’t think was possible for me. I was thrilled to find out that Chole had moved back to San Luis Obispo after High School and was certain that we would reconnect. I knew we’d pick up on our friendship right where we left off prior to the pandemic. I had no reason to believe time wasn’t on our side.

It was a privilege and a blessing to count Chole among my friends. I’m a better person for having known her and the world is lesser without her.

To honor Chole’s memory please call someone you love, especially if you haven’t spoken to them in a while, and tell them you love them. Then, the next time you get together, order the Caesar Salad.

Chloe gave my nephews and I the VIP treatment at the Mid-State Fair the summer of 2019. This included meeting her beloved Bentley. (July 28, 2019)

Chloe and I enjoying some pizza together. (April 16, 2019)

I introduced Chole to Yanagi (similar to Benihana) in Pismo Beach for a birthday treat. Thankfully, it became an annual tradition. (March 15, 2015)

Trip to California Adventure where we went on all the rides. (November 7, 2014)

Mid-State Fair where the temperature were approaching triple digits. Our faces are red from the hot weather but we're still smiling. (July 26, 2014)

Chole helping me babysit some of the kids from church. We had a toilet paper mummy competition! (June 11, 2013)

Fun at a San Luis Obispo Blues baseball game. (June 8, 2013)

I'm so happy I found this photo. This is right before Chole learned about the anchovies in Caesar Salad. (April 7, 2013)

I really appreciate a friend who will play cribbage with me. (October 28, 2012)

After church one day, a group of us were standing behind my car. I observed that Chole's height was the same as the trunk of my car was wide. I was right! A friend handed Chloe her baby and we were all laughing and smiling over this fun and silly moment. (December 6, 2011)