Goodbye from Bryan

The following words were written by Bryan Jones, a long-time friend of Brenan. He now lives in Pennsylvania. Bryan flew (practically with overnight notice) from Pennsylvania to spend three or four days with Brenan during the last few days of being in the hospital. In fact, he helped us pack up the hospital room to go home. He was a great friend to Brenan and here are his words below. -jess-

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Goodbye Brenan

Do I think you will ever be truly gone? No. I believe I feel your spirit with each new day. As I write this I am looking at a picture of us that Jess took right after your Marrow Transplant. For some reason it seems to bring me a little peace knowing that your year long battle has ended. I can only imagine how much of a culture shock it was for you to sit in a hospital bed for 18 to 20 hours a day.

I will remember the days we spent out at Lake Pleasant. The days we would drive to Mill Avenue in the Camaro, the many trips to McDonalds, the conversations about what the Cardinals were doing. And most importantly, I will remember his spirit, the energy, the order, the passion for life, the never ending pursuit for excellence.

Let’s face it….. While working a day job, Brenan learned to fly helicopters. Normal people watch movies; enjoy time with loved ones, and find whatever spare time is left for friends. This guy was a freak of nature. For some reason, Brenan always seemed to have more time than I did! It’s like his days were 48 hours and mine were 24. He always found time out of thin air. He was a Friend, Cousin, Grandson, Swimmer, Snowboarder, avid boater, Valedictorian, Helicopter Pilot, and most importantly, Brother, Son, & Husband. All of that and he still found time to SLEEP! Brenan had a level of energy that might have been unmatched in my lifetime. I always tried to capture it for myself with varying degrees of success.

Even faced with his own mortality, what I remember most is Brenan worrying about others. His greatest worry was always Jess, Elisa, and Mom. I can only hope to have that sort of “heart”. He knew his fight was coming to an end, but couldn’t help feeling that the “new fight” without him would be even harder to bear. Fortunately, we all know, that Brenan will always be with us. His spirit has ALWAYS been more powerful than his body. And his soul will be with us forever.

As my mom taught me, I have begun talking to him daily; in fact, I talk to Grandma Jones, Grandpa Phillips, & Brenan daily. The family of souls that travels with me has grown in the past few weeks. And with Brenan, they have grown more powerful than before. For some reason I am finding more hours in the day, loving people a little more, and worrying about things that never used to cross my mind. This can only be your doing.

Goodbye dear friend. I can’t wait to see you again someday. The McDonalds will be on me.

-Bryan-