One thing I have learned is that good friends have other good friends. This is a series of stories about “friends of my friends”. The post below is the story for August 21, 2015.
My goal in 2015 is to learn or get re-acquainted with 365 people and doing a daily post on the “the friend of a friend” is helping me get closer to my goal.
I attended a joint meeting between the Kiwanis Club, Rotary, and Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday in Lumberton, NC to listen to the Congressman from the 8th District of North Carolina Richard Hudson speak. The Kiwanis Club had just finished up a big fundraiser that Reid Caldwell was very instrumental in.
Photo below-Congressman Hudson at podium and Reid Caldwell is in blue shirt with hand on chin.
At this meeting sitting up close to the podium was the dad of a special daughter and friend to my entire family. The dad was Reid Caldwell and his daughter is Katie Caldwell.
Katie is from Lumberton, NC and played an important part in our youngest son life. Our youngest son Mack goes off to college today at East Carolina University. Katie and another young woman Rachel White Diehl were the primary babysitters Mack had when he would come home from school. Katie is probably dealing with the shock that my wife and I are having how did he grow up so fast. When Katie was looking after Mack she was still in high school. Today she is a college graduate from UNC Pembroke having finished her degree in 2010 and working on studying language/speech pathology.
(l-r) Susan, Katie, and Reid Caldwell at UNC Pembroke Commencement December 2010.
Katie is a beautiful young woman who did more than just babysit Mack she invested in him. She would help him with his homework and often get him ready for what ever after school activity he had that day. Today that investment she made in Mack when he was just a young boy will get redeemed as he becomes a college student. Katie gave Mack her best qualities of being caring, responsible and nurturing. I feel pretty confidant that he is going to take a little bit of Katie with him when he goes off to college.
Katie’s dad Reid Caldwell is a special friend to her.
The Friend-KATIE CALDWELL
The Friend of the Friend-REID CALDWELL-shown dancing with Katie
The Quiet and Reserved Leader
Reid Caldwell is not going to shine the spotlight on himself. He is going to work in the background and make people’s lives better. Reid is the Government Affairs Officer at Southeastern Health in Lumberton, NC. If there is every an industry that in the last ten years has gone under major transformation it is health care. Reid job is to stay abreast of major changes that federal and state agencies are about to implement that impact health care.
Back in May a group of friends from the hospital including Reid and his wife Susan came to our home as part of a charity fundraising dinner. My wife and I had a great time entertaining our twelve guests.
Photo below shows Reid in salmon colored golf shirt at table.
On Wednesday when I saw Reid it reminded me of how important not only his family is to my family but to the community. Over the past weekend under Reid’s leadership the Kiwanis Club of Robeson/Lumberton raised a lot of money to help our community. Reid was the Tournament Director.
Photo below has Reid on left presenting the championship trophies to the 2015 winners.
Reid and the golf tournament was just another example of what I have seen from him over the last fifteen years. Quietly being a leader. As we move my son Mack into his college residence hall today he is taking a piece of the Caldwell family with him and that is a good thing.
coach4aday 
Recent Comments