Remembering Lorton...

Lorton Mitchell was a man of many pleasures, but the ocean was a special haven for the busy father, husband, brother, friend, and owner of Lorton Mitchell Custom Homes. On his off days when he wasn’t purposefully breaking things to fix them, he was most likely at the beach. And when it came time to surf, the conditions were less important in determining the session’s outcome. For most close friends and family of Lorton, his call saying “the surfs epic, get your butt down here” probably just meant he saw at least one ridable, 2 foot, barely breaking wave. But that was Lorton. He always saw the best in what was in front of him. He saw the best in his family, the best in his friends, and the best in his business colleagues. He lived life by reminding himself and others to “focus on the positive” and when Lorton was at the beach, that philosophy really came to life in the way he shared the surfing experience with others. He spent so much of his time being of service to friends and strangers and mentoring kids at the sandy shore. It was for him, the perfect place to teach effort, kindness, joy, and appreciation. He radiated to others that no matter what the conditions were like, putting your head underwater and giving it your all to attempt your best wave, was completely worth it because in those moments there is growth and an opportunity to be grateful. Surfing to Lorton wasn’t about getting the best wave or having the nicest board (although he usually had both), it was about sharing in communion the goodness of life with everyone else who was there.