Travis Blanton: What would Steve Madden do?

Editor’s note: Today marks the anniversary of the passing of Steve Madden. In remembrance of his impact on so many lives, his friend, Travis Blanton, offered the following guest post.

Today marks the third anniversary of losing my dear friend Steve Madden. In the time since he has passed I have asked myself on many occasions, “What would Madden do?”

I often think what would he say of all the acrimony our process has been wrought with as of late. Well, I don’t know what he would say to be honest, but he would have plenty to say about it.

This week, a group of his friends will gather in the Governors Club’s BC room and share lunch in honor of him, like we have done each year.

We will tell stories. We will laugh. We will reminisce about our friend. But inside we will each shed a tear cause we miss him dearly, not because of his quick tongue, but because of the deep loyalty he had to each one of us.

In my office in a frame is a tie that was Steve’s. It has a quote that he once told me. It simply says, “Hug your kids and love your wife.”

So at the end of the day, when acrimony seems to be the dominant theme, be grounded in knowing that life is short and the things that matter most should be just that. The things that matter most.

I love you, Steve, you are forever missed, but never forgotten