On Saturday, I lost more than a friend. It feels as though I’ve lost a member of my family.

I have known Lindsey Graham since I was in my 20s. I will never forget those early days when he first began campaigning for public office. I took him to South Carolina State University, where I had served as Student Government Association president. He sat in the president’s box, met so many of the people who shaped my life, including my family and my brother Kent, who would later become a South Carolina state senator.

From the very beginning, what impressed me most was not his political ambition but his life story. He spoke openly about losing both of his parents at such a young age. As the older brother, Lindsey assumed responsibility for his younger sister, Darline, eventually adopting and raising her. There was a resilience, a profound sense of duty, and a quiet strength about him that inspired everyone who met him.

Our family embraced him. My sister Mary Boyd welcomed him into her home, where we gathered around the dinner table, shared meals, laughed together and listened as he talked about his dreams. He loved the law. He spoke passionately about his service in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps. He talked about his faith in God, his love for South Carolina and his unwavering devotion to serving his country.

When Lindsey first ran for office, we held one of his earliest fundraisers on our family farm. Looking back now, those moments seem even more precious. None of us could have imagined the remarkable journey that lay ahead.

One memory from those early days still makes me smile. My brother Bruce, who has spent his life serving the Pee Dee as a master gravedigger, was talking with Lindsey on the family farm during the campaign. In a lighthearted exchange, Bruce asked him what he intended to bury first if he were elected. Without missing a beat, Lindsey smiled and replied, “The IRS.” It was classic Lindsey: quick-witted, approachable and able to make everyone around him laugh. Even now, in the midst of sorrow, I treasure memories like that.

Over the years, he never forgot where he came from or the people who believed in him. My brother Kent, as a state senator, worked closely with Lindsey to bring jobs, investment and opportunity to South Carolina. I honestly cannot think of another elected official who did more to help improve the lives of people in the Pee Dee region that I call home.

That is why this loss feels so deeply personal.

Even after he became one of the nation’s most influential senators, he never changed. Whether I saw him at an event in Washington or back home in South Carolina, he greeted me with the same warmth and friendship he always had. We didn’t have to speak every week to know that our bond remained strong. Whenever I asked for his help, whether it involved a constituent, a public issue or foreign policy, he was always there. He never forgot his friends.

His kindness extended to my own family. When my niece, Tiffany, was looking for a new opportunity, I asked Lindsey if he would give her a chance. He did far more than that. She became one of his trusted aides and served faithfully in his office for nearly two decades before eventually moving into private industry. For our family, Lindsey was never simply “the senator.” He was part of our lives.

Today, my heart also aches for the extraordinary men and women who dedicated their careers to serving beside him. They were more than staff. They were his extended family. I know they are grieving an unimaginable loss.

Rest in peace, my friend. Thank you for your service. Thank you for your loyalty. Thank you for your friendship.

Until we meet again.