Hey that is great. There is something about seeing those round numbers. I just wen't over 1000 a few weeks ago, myself and I certainly got that little rush of pleasure that comes along with marking some achievement. You are right about things slowing down though. There was a time where I was picking up five or ten followers every day and now I am lucky if I get that in a week.
I feel you about times being rough here. I showed up right before the prices started falling fast so I have seen my blog grow pretty well but It feels like spinning my wheels in terms of making money here. That being said, I like the communities that I am a part of and there is good content to consume here (if one is willing to seek it out). For what it's worth, I plan to stick around and keep upvoting the stuff that I like and keep hoping that people come by and take a look at what I produce. Plus, in my mind, Steemit is still better than Facebook and that is enough to keep me coming back.
I am sorry to hear about your friend, man. Losing people is never easy and when it is something sudden like that makes it even harder.