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THOUGHTS AND MEMORIES:

Posted on February 17, 2015 10:18 PM by Brian's mom

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To the last person who posted-the comment from the UVA professor was in response
to the article Brian's dad wrote that was published in the Richmond
Times-Dispatch in Dec, 2014. It is in the link section of this site-"The Cost of
the Loss of In Loco Parentis".

It was not one of Brian's professors & the professor was relaying his
experiences with students in response to the article regarding parents being
notified by Universities/Colleges of students behaviors when they are harmful to
the student.
Brian's death was an accidental overdose of heroin.

A young relative in Ocean City, Md recently told us they lost 7 friends (teen-
early 20's) to heroin overdose in the last 2 years. Md. and several other states
are trying to crack down on the heroin trafficking. The drug is easy to get and
many times used in place of the prescription drug, oxycontin, which is more
expensive. Brian told me a week before he died that the oxycontin he was given
(the doctor handed him the prescription, not me) when he had his wisdom teeth
out at age 19, was his first taste of heroin. He wouldn't return to that
experience in the form of heroin until he was 21. He told me this because his
sister was about to get her wisdom teeth out and he cautioned against her taking
it or another narcotic. Maybe reading this site will help another parent &/or
addict. Than's all we can hope.

We love and miss you Brian,
Mom & Dad



Posted on February 16, 2015 08:52 PM by did I misunderstand a recent post?

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I don't mean to be insensitive so I'm sorry if that is how this sounds but I
thought Brian died of an OD all these years. I read an entry recently that led
me to believe that UVA thinks he committed suicide. Did I misunderstand that?
Posted on December 31, 2014 03:53 PM by Brian's Mom

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Note to readers:

We will be putting more articles and info on the links section of the site. One
article was written recently by Brian's dad and one of the responses he received
is from a professor at The University of Virginia, the school Brian proudly
attended.

There is reference on this site to a University Student Health counselor having
information that we strongly feel we would have acted on had we been notified
(see post Nov.21,2006). The clinic file we obtained, 2 years after his death,
starts with the first assessment containing an admission to the counselor by
Brian to heavy drinking. Next appear a handful of other assessments in the
following 3 1/2 years related to, a sore throat, a fever & getting a nicotine
patch. The final assessment by the clinic nurse, when Brian sought help because
of chest pain and an infection in a track mark on his arm, left us hollow when
we read it- "Heroin addict".

This still did not illicit a call of concern to us from the Student Health
Center, but Brian, now 21, did call us. He knew then that he was unable to
"handle" the addictive behaviors anymore and he needed help. The reason given to
us by the dean for why we were not notified about the incident that sent him to
the Student Health the first time, an infraction of State law as well as
University Policy, was that Brian, at barely18, was an adult. In recent news
stories, depending on the reporters slant, 18-19 year olds have consistently
been referred to as, "youth", or "teen". Which is it? They have characteristics
of both, but not the life skills to manage everything. They need help when
participating in dangerous behaviors.

We just would have liked a chance to intervene earlier than we did. Brian was
able to hide addictive behaviors from us while there were others who saw them on
a daily basis. Parents are clueless and the last to know sometimes. Any early
intervention to halt addiction would have depended on him ultimately, but it
would have given him a better chance to change his life's direction. It is not
the only aspect of his addiction, but it is a large piece of the pie.

With the permission of the professor, and to leave on Brian's site something for
parent's consideration, part of that response follows:

"I've enjoyed teaching at UVA for the past 27 years, and I think I can count on
one or two hands the number of students who I felt might need some sort of
intervention or help in dealing with a problem. I had one very fine young man
commit suicide during a break, and to this day I wonder if there was something I
might have done to be of help to him. I recall another student who was doing
very well in one of my classes, and then she didn't show up for the final and
received an F. She came to me and asked if she could take the course again, and
I was delighted to have her back. She did even better, but when exam time came
she once again didn't show up. Another F. My understanding is that she was then
expelled for poor grades (I assume the no-show problem went beyond my class),
and I often wonder what became of her. I've always suspected that she had some
sort of external problem--drugs, booze, boyfriend, or perhaps a family problem
at home. At no point did I fear either of these students were at serious risk of
hurting themselves or others, so they really aren't relevant to your situation.
I guess I mention them because I continue to think of both students often, and
wonder whether I might have done something different that would have helped
them. (I particularly think about the young man, as when I met with his mother
when she came to pick up his things she told me he had often spoken of how much
he enjoyed my class. He got a B+ in a very competitive group (mostly pre-law),
but I've wondered if he expected an A and the lower grade contributed to some
depression or other problem and was a factor in his decision. I think about it,
I worry about it, but I realize I will never know. ...

So there may be a case for additional procedures or checks, but in principle I
like the idea of allowing school officials to contact parents of students they
believe are in over their heads and may endanger their own and/or another
person's life if something beyond the competence of the school is not done.

Once again, please accept my profound sympathy over your tragic loss. As a
parent of a college student, I can't even imagine the pain that would accompany
such a loss."


We thank the professor for sharing and for the kind words, and also thank all
who have read, shared memories, photos and condolences on, Brian's site.

And a special thanks to Andy Chung who retrieved Brian's last email and started
this memorial site for him. Not only that, but he has maintained it for all this
time and has been our technical guardian, something we say Brian must have
willed to him! Andy, you have helped us with our technical lives, but more
importantly, helped us and others, to heal and remember. God Bless you!


Here is the song Brian's sister wrote for him-

"ANGELS IN THE SKY "
words and music by Katelyn Christ
copyright 2006 kateONkeys

"Had some trouble sleeping,
so went off to close the door.
Medicated memories
left him lying on the floor.
Mom tried to nurse him back
but she choked on lifeless air.
We just hope,
he knew how much we care.

Winter tried to steal him,
froze a heart unthawed by love.
But he answered to
those choirs singing above.
Silver eyes went cloudy
to mourn his loss.
Buried with his grief,
he rose above,
with a silver cross.

Chorus
HIs body couldn't take
the way he would escape.
Chasing dragons in the night,
he held on for dear life.
But in defense of progress
he tried hard to change his life.
Taken young at heart.
He flies with angels in the sky,
Angels in the sky.

Wiser at twenty two
then most are when they meet end.
He left some hope for his family,
and a lesson for his friends.
Life is fragile
when it's clenched in God's fist.
But beyond the sky,
he found a life
he thought he'd missed.

Chorus
His body couldn't take
the way he would escape.
Chasing dragons in the night.
he held on for dear life.
But in defense of progress,
he tried hard to change his life.
Taken young at heart.
He flies with angels in the sky,
angels in the sky.

Time may mute the silent cry
let out that winter's night.
Because winter fades,
to welcome new spring lights.
But for those who wash his passing
in water of regret,
An ocean of old sorrow
washed away,
but how can we forget.

chorus

'cause Brian couldn't take,
the way he would escape.
Chasing dragons into the night,
he held on for dear life.
But in defense of progress,
he tried hard to change his life.
Taken young at heart.
He flies with angels in the sky,
angels in the sky."


We miss you Brian. Love always and forever,
Mom & Dad, Katelyn & Ashley
Posted on December 30, 2014 01:41 AM by Brian's family

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Ending the posting on Brian's website with these two prayers.

God, give me grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things
which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish
the one from the other.
Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it,
Trusting that You will make all things right,
If I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with You forever in the next.
Amen.
(Rheinhold Niebuhr)

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow
love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is
despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy.

O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to
console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love; For it is in
giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; it is in dying
that we are born again to eternal life.
(St Francis of Assisi)


Brian,
you are forever our son,
our brother,
& forever loved by us.
We relinquish our grief and pain to the Lord,
with whom you rest,
while joyfully preserving your memory in our hearts.
We Love you,
Mom & Dad,
Katelyn and Ashley
Posted on December 15, 2014 08:39 AM by Kate

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Brian, it's been 10 years and I still think of you every day.

Ismail, congratulations on the wedding in March! I know Brian will be right by
your side as your best man.

To the Christ family, I'm happy to hear that you've been able to help so many
others struggling with addiction. I know this time of the year is hard, and I'm
thinking of you.

Love, Kate
Posted on December 15, 2014 08:23 AM by Ismail Madni

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Missing you as always on this day. It will be very odd not seeing you at my
wedding in March but you are always in my thoughts. We still share stories about
you, the antics we pulled, look at old pictures, whatever.

The "32 crew" is still around, we still see each other plenty and there will
certainly be a toast to you on March 7th

RIP my friend
Posted on December 14, 2014 09:47 PM by Brian's Dad

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Brian it has been 10 years since you have left. I can say you would be very
proud of both your sisters. They are doing well in their jobs & are moving
forward in positive ways. Mom has made contacts with mothers that have suffered
a loss and communicated with many others about your story. She has been told
more than once that your website and your story have helped an at risk young
persons life. I have taken a more activist role trying to protect the future of
the younger generation which is a proxy for the future of the country. Writing
economic articles and recently through petitions.

The circle of life has a beginning and an end. We all begin with a blank tape.
We sustain dings and ups and downs and in the end we have memories and through
our memories you are with us.

Love you, dad
Posted on December 11, 2014 09:18 PM by Brian's Mom

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Here are a few more photos of Brian to leave you with.



The songs are by Cindy Bullens who did a cd of songs related to her daughters
death a few years ago.



Missing you Brian,

Love Mom


Posted on November 30, 2014 09:44 PM by The Christ Family

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We would like to pass on some sites for anyone who is struggling, or knows
someone struggling, with their addictions.
We know of a young girl in Georgia who was healed of her heroin addiction with
the help of the Cenacolo Community listed below.

Here are some links to recovery sites-

www.Fathermartinsashley.org
Maryland Private Drug Addiction and Alcoholism Rehab Tr...
Maryland 147-acre private alcohol and drug addiction treatment rehab center. At
Father Martin's Ashley our mission is to help the drug addict, alcoholic,
chronic pain.
*****************************

Cenacolo Community brings radical cure for addiction
The Cenacolo Community was founded by Mother Elvira Petrozzi, an Italian nun, in
1983. What would a nun know about addictions? Mother Elvira experienced, first
...
View on www.cenacolouk.org

Hope Reborn: Comunità Cenacolo America - Contact Us

******************************
New Life - The New Life Live Show is America's #1 Christian Counseling Talk
Show. Since 1985 New Life Live has been broadcasting as a nationally-syndicated,
interactive talk radio program which deals with mental health, emotional,
relational and spiritual issues from a biblical perspective.

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

It's coming up on the 10th anniversary of Brian's death. We also want to pass
along that at the end of this year we will no longer have this site open for
posting. It will still remain open to view.

We've shared our sorrow and our joy. Sorrow over missing him and joy over having
known him and had him with us for 22 years. We also have hope for his eternal
life with God and this Faith has sustained us.

We try to live intentionally and do things in his memory and because of his
memory.

We thank all who have supported us and shared in missing and remembering him
with us.

And we thank Andy who has graciously kept this site going for ten years and
given us a place to express and share our grief and love.

God Bless you all,
The Christ family
Posted on September 24, 2014 01:47 PM by Carol Ann (Alie's Mom)

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The Lord bless you and keep you,
The Lord make his face shine upon you
and be gracious to you,
The Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace. The strongest of Angels.
Posted on September 16, 2014 07:35 PM by Katelyn & Ashley

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Happy Birthday, Brian. It's hard to believe it has been ten years. So much has
changed except that we still miss you. <3
Posted on September 16, 2014 04:23 PM by Ismail Madni

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10 years since we last celebrated your birthday together

Miss you
Posted on September 16, 2014 04:23 PM by Ismail Madni

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10 years since we last celebrated your birthday together

Miss you
Posted on September 16, 2014 07:30 AM by Kate

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Happy 32nd birthday, Brian. Still thinking of you every day.
Posted on September 15, 2014 09:04 PM by Brian's mom

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I have always had a fascination with lions-beautiful, majestic animals. Here are
some photos- one we took in the Serengeti of a mother lion and her cubs-a
mother's protective love. The others are of us and our "cubs". (photos to follow
soon)

Try as we may, we cannot protect our children in every instance. This is
monumental in our thoughts about Brian. Of course he was on his own but the
feeling still surfaces at times. You go back and try to figure out where you let
your guard down, where you didn't teach or show what was necessary to thrive and
survive. We did our best based on what we knew at the time.

I believe it's not us who ultimately protect, but God. We wonder why for some
there is deliverance from harm and for others there is not deliverance. I have
heard in that case there is the accompaniment of angels to strengthen us, during
times of harm & even death, as when Jesus was tempted by satan in the
wilderness, and during His agony in the Garden of Gethsemene before He was
arrested and put to death. (Matthew 4; Luke 22). The Scriptures say that angels
"ministered" to Him at both of those times, even though He could have summoned
thousands of Angels if He willed, because He is fully human and fully God. He
was not to be delivered but to go through the reason He became incarnate in the
world-to take upon Himself our transgressions, die for them and lead us all to
eternal life through His life, His death and His resurrection. He trampled death
and there is the hope of His glory. There is also mystery for us, where faith
must come, in not knowing why some are delivered and others not. I believe He
gives those who follow Him, mercy, in the form of ministering angels to give
strength to get through trials. Trials are for us to learn something and draw
nearer to Him. Please don't take my word for this, read the Scriptures for
yourselves.

Another lion reference is included is a description of a Monastery I visited on
a Pilgrimage to Israel & The Holy Land with a group from our church in March.
The reference is in relation to St. Gerasimus. His story is like the one I used
to read to Brian from a children's book when he was little. I didn't know it had
it's roots, most likely, from this Monastery. Something that may be of interest
to some.

Monastery of St Gerasimus


"West Bank

Monastery of St Gerasimus (Bukvoed)

The Monastery of St Gerasimus, one of the earliest of the 70-plus monasteries in
the Judaean desert, is named in honour of a pioneering monk who is usually
depicted with a pet lion.
A verdant and welcoming oasis in the arid lower Jordan Valley, it is on the east
side of highway 90 just north of the Beit-Ha’aravah junction, and about 7
kilometres southeast of Jericho.
Across the Jordan River is the place of Jesus’ baptism, Bethany Beyond the
Jordan, but the two-storey monastery commemorates an earlier event in Jesus’
life.
According to an old tradition, the monastery was built where Mary, Joseph and
the infant Jesus took shelter in a cave while fleeing from Herod the Great.
This event is commemorated in the ground-floor crypt beneath the monastery
church. An icon illustrates the Flight of the Holy Family into Egypt and a large
painting depicts a contented Jesus being nursed at the breast by his mother
Mary.

Fresco of St Gerasimus with his lion (Bukvoed)
The upper-floor church contains many holy icons and frescoes, including
paintings of Gerasimus and his lion. Cabinets in the crypt store the bones of
monks killed during the Persian invasion of 614.

Hospitable place for pilgrims

A place of hospitality and refreshment for pilgrims, with fruit trees, flowers
and birdsong, the monastery offers a contrast to the hot and barren environment
of the Judaean wilderness.
Founded in the fifth century, it was originally dedicated to Our Lady of Kalamon
(Greek for reeds), but was later renamed in honour of Gerasimus, who founded a
nearby monastery that had been abandoned.
It was destroyed in 614, rebuilt by the Crusaders, abandoned after the Crusader
period, restored in the 12th century, rebuilt in 1588, destroyed around 1734
andre-established in 1885.
In Arabic it is known as Deir Hajla, meaning the monastery of the partridge, a
bird common to the area.

Cloister in Monastery of St Gerasimus (© Deror Avi)
The monastery functioned in the form of a laura — with a cluster of hermits’
caves located around a community and worship centre. The hermits spent weekdays
alone in their caves, occupied in prayer and making ropes and baskets. They went
to the centre for Saturdays and Sundays, taking their handiwork and partaking in
Divine Liturgy and communal activities.
The monastic rule was strict. During the week the hermit monks survived on dry
bread, dates and water. At the weekends they ate cooked food and drank wine.
Their only personal belongings were a rush mat and a drinking bowl.
Hermits’ caves can still be seen in the steep cliffs a kilometre east of the
monastery and in the adjacent mountains.

Gerasimus redeveloped monastic life

Like many who founded Judaean monasteries, Gerasimus (also spelt Gerassimos or
Gerasimos) came from outside the Holy Land — from a wealthy family in Lycia,
in present-day Turkey.
Already a monk when he came to Palestine, he followed the monastic leader
Euthymius into the desert and became renowned for his piety and asceticism.
Because of the similarity of names, Gerasimus is sometimes confused with St
Jerome, the Bible translator who lived in Bethlehem.
Gerasimus is credited with a new development in monastic life. Previously desert
monks lived either in caves or in monasteries. He was the first to combine the
solitude of a wilderness hermit with the communal aspect of a monastery by
bringing hermits together on Saturdays and Sundays for worship and fellowship.

Upper part of iconostasis in monastery church (© Deror Avi)
He is believed to have attended the crucial Council of Chalcedon in 451, which
caused a major rift in the Eastern Orthodox world.
Called to settle differences of opinion on the nature of Christ, the council
declared that he has two natures in one Person as truly God and truly man.
Gerasimus briefly opposed this declaration, then accepted it.
The lion depicted in icons of Gerasimus comes from a story that he found the
animal wandering in the desert, suffering from a thorn embedded in a paw. The
saint gently removed the thorn and tended to the wound.
The lion thereafter devoted himself to Gerasimus, serving him and the monastery
and retrieving the monastery’s donkey when it was stolen by thieves.
The story has it that when Gerasimus died in 475 the lion lay on his grave and
died of grief.

Administered by: Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem"

Another musing of mine Brian.
Hard to believe you would be 32 now. You were honorary groomsman recently in
your friend's wedding. Nice to see you remembered in that way. There is not a
day we do not remember you.
Love on your birthday and always,
Mom and Dad


Posted on September 2, 2014 11:53 PM by Brian's mom

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Brian,
almost ten years later I miss you terribly and always will until I see you
again. It seems that I was able to say goodbye to others who have left us- your
grandfathers, grandmother, your aunts, even to our pets, but not to you. Having
to say goodbye to someone in the face of death is heartbreaking. Not being able
to, leaves so much painfully unsaid. That pain though is but a ripple compared
to the wave of anguish from the death that is occurring in the world today.

The world is on fire, in chaos. This country has not fully awakened to that
fact. Media lies to us by omitting facts and pushing leftist ideology, which
wants the destruction of our country as we know it. People in Iraq and Syria &
other parts of the world as well are losing their families, their property,
their lives in horrific, evil ways.

Like the Armenian Death March in 1915, Christians especially are being tortured
and killed. At that time, the Turkish sultans in the Ottoman Empire hated the
Armenians for being Christian and suspected them of siding with the Russians.
Hundreds of thousands were put to death under their rule. Then there came a very
concerted effort to exterminate them all by The Young Turks, a small group of
wealthy, western educated, young, calculating and vicious dictators. They took
the killing to an evil systematic level. None of this is included in history
classes today, nor when I was in school in the 70's.

First the intellectual Armenians were arrested, followed by confiscation of
weapons, "deportation" of the Armenians and confiscation of their"abandoned"
property. For deportation they were marched into what is now the Syrian desert,
with no water, no food or provisions. If they survived they were either; burned
in groups, being sealed in caves; gassed; given tetanus toxoid disguised as
tetanus vaccine; or drowned in the Black Sea by the boatful. British pilots over
head could see hair waving in the water below. Over 3 million were killed before
the British and French attempted late in the game to stop the madness by
dividing the Ottoman Empire into the boundaries that compromise the Middle East
today. Even after Ataturk came into power and tried to modernize Turkey, (he
himself being a Young Turk who pointed to others for the atrocities), the
killing continued into 1922 with over 1 million Greeks being slaughtered
(Smyrna). This is also the period of WWI.

Your grandfather living on a Greek Island ruled by the Turks at that time, saw
many unspeakable things. He had to go to Istanbul for work at age 13 eventually
being conscripted into the Turkish army in WWII. He worked as a maitre-d and was
chosen by the Turkish Ambassador to work for him in that capacity, and that is
how he came to the U.S. Your Dad wrote a book about him & that period called
Breadcrumb.

The word 'genocide' was first used to describe the Armenian/Greek slaughters.
Hitler pointed to no one caring about the Armenians and he praised the
systematic approach used by the Turks to slaughter them. Of course we know what
happened next. All of this happened not as a result of U.S. policy as the
leaders in power today say, but because of longstanding hatred and desire for
"ethnic cleansing".

The very same evil is occurring in the exact same tract of land today. It went
on for centuries before as well. The magnitude of killing and people losing
loved ones and watching them be tortured and die, is not imaginable.

Proverbs 8:33-36 New International Version (NIV)

33 Listen to my instruction and be wise;
do not disregard it.
34 Blessed are those who listen to me,
watching daily at my doors,
waiting at my doorway.
35 For those who find me find life
and receive favor from the Lord.
36 But those who fail to find me harm themselves;
all who hate me love death.”

True peace does not come from not fighting, but winning. The vanquished do not
fight and, therefore, do not have peace on a solid foundation.

--St. Francis de Sales

Missing you Brian
Praying for those being martyred & displaced,
Love, Mom
Posted on June 24, 2014 10:40 PM by Brian's Mom & Dad

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Brian's friend Lizzy has written on this site. Her last post was in December. A
few weeks ago we were at Brian's dad's 47th HS reunion at his friend's house
located on a scenic lake. People who graduated from 1965-1968 showed up. There
was a really good band playing that evening and it turns out it was Lizzy's
dad's band. Her dad & Brian's were at Falls Church HS at the same time!

Awhile ago I posted about a song by Kris Kristopherson (6/18/07) that I heard on
one of Brian's CD's and how listening to it made me feel. Lizzy posted back
(7/24/07) that Brian had always requested that song from her dad's band when he
heard them play in Arlington.

That evening at the reunion was really enjoyable for us. We felt closer that
night to Brian, sitting by the water and enjoying some of the same music he used
to enjoy. Things like that are priceless to us.

Love you & miss you Brian, Mom & Dad
Posted on May 29, 2014 09:48 PM by Brian's Mom

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FYI-I took the photos in last post in Tanzania.
Posted on May 22, 2014 10:30 PM by Brian's Mom and Dad

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Romans 8:18
" I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory
that will be revealed in us."


St Augustine of Hippo
"Our hearts are restless until they rest in thee."


Peace
"It does not mean to be in a place where there is not noise, trouble or hard
work. It means to be in the midst of these things and still be calm in your
heart."


Thinking of you and missing you Brian,
Love Mom and Dad
Posted on January 20, 2014 11:26 PM by Brian's Mom

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In Jan 2009 (see post Jan 25, 2009) Brian's sister Katelyn and I did the WDW
Marathon. We did it for Brian. There's a story. Although I got a medal I never
finished the event. I, and the participants around me, were stopped into mile 22
by motorcycle police who pulled on the sidewalk wanting that last few hundred
yards of highway, before re-entering Disney property, re-opened. We didn't have
an orange flag telling us we were behind pace and the Disney people had just
waved us on so we were confused when we saw our time remaining and we were
stopped. One man was angry enough to go to an official at the finish line where
we were bused. A few of us gave our names & phone numbers to the official. After
that I made my way back to the hotel where Katelyn was resting. I got ready for
us to go out to dinner to refuel and when I came out, found Katelyn crawling on
her stomach on the floor to pick up something she had dropped! Quad muscles not
working so well! We laughed so hard and I was estactic that I had gone as far as
I had. She said I had a message on my cell phone. It was the Disney official
saying the time had been checked on my computer chip on my shoe lace and they
were awarding me the medal after all.

For four years I've wanted to finish that race. This year seemed to jump out at
me so I signed up a little late for the January 12, 2014 WDW Marathon. With
only12 weeks to countdown I started the work to decrease my minute/mile ratio
from the required upper limit of 16 min mile to a 15 to 15.5 min mile which I
would do run/walking. This time I wasn't doing it for Brian This time I was
doing it because of him. His memory has spurred us all on to do more than we
thought we could do.

I had a good start and running thru the Magic Kingdom, mile 6, I was at a 15min
mile pace. We went the back road out of that area and mile 9 was completed on
the Disney race track. The breezy cold morning was now sunny and getting hot.
Miles 10-12 took us the back road again into and then through Animal Kingdom and
since the sun was up and the parks open, crowds of people were cheering us on.
Thank goodness for one man who yelled to us "You've almost completed a
half-marathon!". At that instant I checked my timer watch that showed my
official time and saw I had a chance to make it to 13.1 in the official
completion time for a half marathon. That knowledge, coupled with the fact that
the power aid/ hammer gel combination I had been taking in had started some
cramping high in my stomach and that there was a lack of cups for passing us
water, led to a quick decision to make a half-marathon my race. That's what I
did, making it officially to that mark in 3hrs and 27 min., then going on to
complete mile 14 for a ride to the finish line.I don't regret stopping and was
thrilled to have done it in the time I had trained for. After the anticipation
anxiety awaiting the race in the corral at 4am was over and we were on our way,
it was great fun. No blisters, stiff for a few days and happy to have tried
something out of my comfort zone. Oh one more thing. The people in the van with
me on the way to the finish line were injured I think. They called ahead to the
officials with our names & bib numbers. We got the medals anyway!! That's Disney
for you. My prayer for the race was a passage from Habakkuk 3:19 -"The LORD God
is my strength, and He will make my feet like hinds' feet, and He will make me
to walk on my high places".

I mention the race because to sign up late as I did I needed to connect with one
of the charity groups. I chose Covenant House of Florida an organization who
feeds, clothes, houses, counsels and educates youth who are homeless. They also
provide substance abuse intervention. With the donations brought in from those
who participated in one of the 2014 WDW Marathon events, enough was raised to
house and feed the kids in the facility for a month. Their motto is "Our strides
in the streets today keep kids off the streets tonight".

Had that goofy penny you flattened in the coin machine in Disney World in my
pocket Brian. Missing you, Love, Mom

Posted on December 29, 2013 06:49 PM by lizzy

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Thinking of you Brian and remembering your smile and laugh..how kind you were. I
wish you were still here. I remember the xmas after you died was full of nothing
but sadness and tears. 9 years later and I still pause around this time and
remember how horrible that grief was. It is easier now... and instead of pain I
can focus on the happy times we had together.
Posted on December 15, 2013 07:32 PM by Brian's Mom & Dad

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Simply missing you Brian,
Love Mom and Dad


Posted on September 16, 2013 07:57 AM by Kate

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I remember going to see the butterflies (petaloudes) in Rhodes with Brian, and I
still have this nice photo of him there:


http://www.thekatespanos.com/IMAGES/bac-petaloudes.jpg

Happy birthday, Brian! Still thinking of you.
Posted on September 15, 2013 11:30 PM by Brian's Mom

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Some lighter memories of Brian today on his Birthday.

I saw the Flight of the Butterflies movie at the Smithsonian IMAX Theatre and
thought of Brian. The movie details and illustrates the navigation of the
Monarchs and how the curiosity of a ten year old boy who became a scientist and
made it his lifelong quest to find out where the Monarchs went in the winter,
led to just that.

Through the years he enlisted the help of others who volunteered, tagging
butterfly wings and calling in locations where they were spotted. When he almost
gave up after thinking they were all headed to Texas and not finding any there,
a couple in Mexico notified him after learning of his work & after spotting a
large number in a forest. For two years they searched for and discovered the
location to which the Monarchs migrated. The scientist made the journey to see
the millions of butterflies with his wife when he was quite old thinking this
was nice to see, but it didn't prove they had migrated there. Sitting on a log
to rest he looked down by his boot and on the ground on the wing of a fallen
butterfly was one of his tags.

The story was fascinating and marvelous. It showed the beauty of the
perseverance in realizing a dream, and that of creation. The Monarch's
navigational ability is unbelievably intricate. P5397 was the number on the tag
of the Monarch's wing that was found in the Mountains in Mexico that proved the
Migrational Path of the butterflies. I think Brian would have liked this story.
He loved science and the outdoors.

I remember on his trip to Greece with Kate they experienced the Valley of the
Butterflies on the island of Rhodes. He made a point of telling me about it. He
also loved the lushness of Costa Rica. I still have the butterfly bush, we
purchased from his elementary school in 4th grade, in the backyard making sure
to plant other flowers that attract them as well. In grade school he especially
liked going to the Natural History Museum to the Bug Exhibit, handling the
tarantulas, and large cockroaches without flinching a bit. We went to the first
Earth Day Celebration on the Mall in D.C. when he was about ten.

I recently read a story, Proof of Heaven, by a Neurosurgeon, Dr. Eben Alexander,
from Lynchburg, VA. He was a scientist who did not believe in heaven, life after
death experiences, angels etc., thinking they were only imagery from mechanisms
in the brain, until he had a illness that shut down that very part of the brain.

" Before he underwent his journey, he could not reconcile his knowledge of
neuroscience with any belief in heaven, God, or the soul. Today Alexander is a
doctor who believes that true health can be achieved only when we realize that
God and the soul are real and that death is not the end of personal existence
but only a transition. "

His experience when in a seven day coma with his cortex completely shut down,
and chances of survival next to none, included journeying with an angel &
realizing they were traveling on the wing of a butterfly! After having read his
account, what struck me in the IMAX movie was the first line the narrator speaks
(the supposed voice of the scientist who unravels the mystery of the migration)
was something about all of DNA existing in the wings of butterflies. Not an
exact quote.

When we were in Tanzania at Oldapai Gorge, the discovery site of the
Zinjanthropus skull by the Leakey's, we were told the area was brought to the
Leakey's attention by a scientist looking for butterflies. In the movie the
couple in Mexico who helped with the discovery, getting closer to finding the
resting place of the Monarchs, observed a large group of them at a festival of
the dead in early November, which was laden with many flowers. The folk lore is
that the butterflies are the returning souls of the children who had died. All
kind of interesting.

An early dream I had after Brian passed had me sitting at a table with 3 other
people. It had a linen table cloth and nice place settings. A beautiful emerald
green and blue butterfly was flying all around the table and me and I told those
I was with in amazement but with assurance, "That's Brian". I've heard a lot of
grieving mother's stories about butterfly experiences, some pretty remarkable.
Whatever they are or represent, they are beautiful creatures and this movie is
worth seeing.

I miss talking to you Brian, Love Mom

Posted on September 14, 2013 11:53 PM by Brian's Mom

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sometimes there are light and even funny remembrances of Brian but this time is
not one of them.
I was reading another mother's blog about her son who was an addict. He asked
her for help. No one wants to live that lifestyle. In moments of sobriety it may
be clear the wrong path has been taken, but addiction (to whatever) has an evil,
strong pull. She described viewing her son in his hospital bed, having sustained
severe physical trauma after he had used drugs, which resulted in his death. It
was gut wrenching to read her story.

I realized that only a mother could stand at the bedside and look at their child
torn and disfigured. In the claws of imminent death or having already passed. In
the case of drug related death, having veered so far away from what you wanted
for them yet , the essence of their person, who they really were is what a
mother sees and loves and holds on to, making sure it be presented after they
are gone. Only a mother can see past the destruction to her child's "being".

But Isn't this the way God deals with us? A merciful God who does not inflict
these things upon us, but gives us free will to chose. We all with something we
idolize, veer far from what God wants for us, far from Him. Like in the parable
of the Prodigal Son, Luke 15:11-32, He welcomes us back to Him. He doesn't need
us, we find we need Him. He knows our hearts, our essence.

Luke 15:10 "In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of
the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

(repent~ "a change of mind accompanied by regret and change of conduct, "change
of mind and heart", or, "change of consciousness")

After almost nine years I felt the need to get Brian's emergency room records. I
was in a state of suspended reality when I did CPR on him and then watched them
carry him out our front door on a stretcher, strapped in & covered to his neck
with a white sheet. I was screaming to God hysterically, "No, no, no God no,
don't take him". Being held up, and back by one of the paramedics, I thought I
heard one of them say they had a pulse. So in the car as we chased the ambulance
we had a glimmer of hope. When we were taken to the ER room where they were
working on him, he was lying with only his shorts on , intubated, connected to
IVs and electrodes. They were pounding on his chest and shocking him. I held on
to his foot in between the shocks. I stood at the foot of the stretcher, knowing
what was happening as a nurse, but not believing it was happening as his mother.
They stopped and looked at me and said they could do no more. Brian's dad and
sister had been given chairs to sit because they were so distraught as they
looked on, as was I but I had to be near him. I didn't want to leave him. They
ushered us out into a hall and I fell up against a wall shaking and crying as I
watched staff pass us by. I never knew if they had ever had a pulse. I couldn't
remember if Brian was cold or warm, if he was cyanotic or not at the house when
we found him. Here I'm a nurse, but I just couldn't remember. It didn't matter
then. What mattered was "him", the essence of who he was to us. What I wanted to
hold onto and love. His body I looked past. I just wanted "him" back.

The records I just obtained indicated no, there was no pulse and that we had
found him already gone. It didn't offer any kind of consolation merely another
fact that I was ready to add to the others we've compiled.

I have talked with many mothers now who have lost their children and it does not
get easier to live without them, only easier to comprehend the factual part of
things. And easier and almost a necessity to reach out to others in similar
situations. God comforts us to comfort others.

On September 16th this year and every year, Brian's birthday, we thank God for
having Brian in our lives & for the blessings and joy he gave us.

We love you and miss you Brian. Mom & Dad
Posted on September 5, 2013 02:35 PM by Rosemary Smith

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thinking of Brian today from Kentucky. His precious mother, Lee Ann sent me the
most beautiful card and had the address for this website at the end of her note.
I've just spent the past hour reading through the many entries. Although I never
knew Brian on this physical earth, I do feel like I know his heart and soul from
all these comments.

Lee Ann told me about their trip to Tanzania in her note. I was thrilled to read
more about it in this blog. I know Brian made that trip with his family. He is
free now to be with everyone he knew and loved and he waits for that blessed
reunion.

Love,

Rosemary Smith
www.childrenofdome.com
www.spacebetweenbreaths.com
Posted on August 21, 2013 03:26 PM by Eric Koch

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Just thinking of Brian this afternoon and decided to stop by. Good to see
activity here, and yes, I am still a mongoloid:-)

Many blessings to the Christ and Madni family!
Posted on May 12, 2013 11:32 PM by Brian's Mom On Mother's Day 2013

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I put a rose on my own Mother's grave today. Arlington Cemetery removes flowers
quickly so one rose was sentimentally placed on top of the headstone . The
contrast of the red and the stark white stone was stricking. My only regret,
there was no fragrance. That distinctively sweet aroma that is lost in most of
today's hybrids. If anyone has the chance or the whim to, I' ve read that a
rose's scent (while still un cut) is most potent at around 1am. That is when
they petals are harvested in France for making perfume. That is just something
Brian would have balked at when he heard it, then he would have told me if it
was true or not because he would have gone and found out. He seemed to have a
tough exterior sometimes but had a heart of gold.

I didn't go to Brian's grave today. I don't as much as I did. I don't think of
him as there. Though I still as his Mother want to take care of and visit the
sight. A poem I love from Streams in The Desert, a devotional my Mother gave me,
expresses how I think about him now, on the "other side".

****
E'en for the dead I will not bind my soul to grief.
Death cannot long divide.
For is it not as if the rose that climbed my garden wall
has blossomed on the other side?
Death does hide, but not divide.
You are but on Christ's other side!
You are with Christ, and Christ with me.
In Christ united still are we.
****
I miss you so much Brian & will Love you always, Mom
Posted on May 1, 2013 12:16 AM by Brian's Mom

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The author of the book below, is the Priest who met & spoke with Brian for about
four hours, not long after he had returned home from Hazelden. I had listened to
Fr. Stone's story on a tape given to me by a family friend, and was amazed &
filled with hope after hearing about his miraculous recovery from a life of
drugs and crime. I asked the friend if he would make a request to Father Stone
to speak to Brian. On a trip east, Fr. Stone graciously did that, and I believe
it helped Brian's soul, even though his body succumbed to his addiction.

A favorite passage that speaks to me here is Romans 8:38-39
"For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities
nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any
other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is
in Christ Jesus our Lord."

I recently came across the tape and decided to see if I could get a CD of the
story. I found this description of his book and wanted to share it with anyone
who would be interested in hearing this amazing story.

We are so grateful to Fr. Stone for his help to Brian & us. Brian listened to
him because he had been in his shoes. He gave Brian hope. Maybe this will give
someone else hope. Praise God.
Love and miss you Brian, Mom

********
Date with Divine Destiny
by Fr. Ron Stone

"How far can a person turn from God before there is "no turning back"? Can God
really heal addictions and totally transform lives by grace alone? What must a
fallen-away believer do to get back on track and strive after holiness?
God's Powerful Intervention
In this incredible new four-CD (or tape) series, Date with Divine Destiny,
you'll encounter the reversion story of a young man who literally came within
centimeters of committing suicide - yet was miraculously spared. He readily
admits that his life consisted of "drugs, thugs and violence." If not for God's
intervention, Ron Stone would have died from a drug overdose - just another sad
statistic in a police report. Now, you'll journey with Father Stone on his
unbelievable odyssey of faith from a drug rehab center to the altar of God.
Prepare to be amazed as you witness how the Lord "writes straight with crooked
lines."
God's Omnipotence at Work
You'll be encouraged and inspired as this former bodybuilder candidly shares how
Christ healed him of a terrible drug addiction and eventually led him back to
his childhood Catholic Faith through the Holy Rosary. Despite periodic relapses
and constant interior struggles, this young man eventually entered the seminary
even though he did not have a bishop to sponsor him! But, you'll discover how
our Heavenly Mother took Ron by the hand and gradually began to transform his
soul into the image and likeness of her Divine Son.
Reversion, Consecration, Revelation
Date with Divine Destiny will reaffirm your belief in God's omnipotence - and
the Blessed Virgin Mary's maternal care and concern for every Christian. This
digitally recorded four CD (or tape) set will inspire you as never before. In
addition to Father's conversion story, you will also get his talk on Marian
consecration and a two-part presentation on the Book of Revelation. Get ready to
reach new heights of sanctity by listening to these unforgettable talks. This is
the type of message you will listen to again and again and want to share with
others. Purchase a set for yourself and another for family and friends."
Posted on April 3, 2013 11:43 PM by Brian's Mom a Spring day 2013

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Brian gave me The Tao of Pooh book as a gift the year before he died, so when I
saw this "conversation" on a picture frame, it reminded me of him.

"We'll be Friends Forever, won't we, Pooh? " asked Piglet.
"Even longer: Pooh answered.

Love you forever Brian. Mom

"*******
O'Connell Mom, I wonder if you feel comfortable emailing me (bottom of page). I
would like to talk with you. Thanks for your support on the site. If anyone
would like to email me related to this site please feel free to do so.
Lee Ann
Posted on January 23, 2013 08:25 PM by Brian's Mom

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Brian told me his mind raced all the time. He also said he prayed but didn't
know if it got through. I've heard when we don't know what to say or how to pray
the Holy Spirit aides us. I saw this from the daily readings I get from out
church and it reminded me of him and really of me too.

From- www.saintsophiadc.com
The daily meditation blog

"January 23rd, 2013
Make Me Feel Your Presence. Years without Prayer.

Make me feel Your presence

Lord, I have to tell You that prayer is a problem for me. How should I collect
my spirit, which is split and squandered in a thousand pieces? How should I
concentrate; how can I close off from all around me and within me each entrance
from the outside world, appearances, and sensations?

My mind buzzes like a beehive. My ears are bombarded by a million noises. In my
eyes images and pictures flash constantly one after the next. And when I close
my eyes, my imagination composes and presents me with a sight of many colors.

How should I restrain all of these things, so that I can focus my being and its
senses in prayer?

When I speak with someone else, God, I don’t need to make a huge endeavor at
self concentration. The other person’s presence is felt absolutely. I see him,
I hear him, and I hold his hand.

But You, God, I don’t see You. You are invisible, inaccessible to our sense of
vision. Nor can I apprehend You by my hearing. My five senses betray me. How,
then, should I fix my attention on Your face?

They say the only approach to this is through faith. But my own faith is weak
and pallid.

Do You see then, God, how hard this attempt is for me? That’s why I dare ask
You for forgiveness, if so often, for allotting so short a time for prayer, and
even then in that time my mind races incessantly here and there, while my soul
is besieged by and yields to a whole crowd of things that are completely foreign
to prayer.

Empower my faith, O mighty God. Grant me the great gift of feeling Your Presence
at the time of prayer.Show Your face to Your servant (Psalms 30:17). Then, I
know, the confusion in my thoughts will cease and will stop running toward
external things. My soul will be in the clear and beyond any fogginess; its eye
will meet the light of Your face, and will be captivated by it.

Oh, that You would have given me this gift! How much more I would have been able
to love You then. And how much better would I have prayed….

Years without prayer

How could I do such a thing! God, how could I have been so wrong? For so many
years to pass without praying?

A life full of storms and feverish moments without the breath of Your contact!

A road fraught with traps, running alongside bottomless pits, beneath tempests,
without seeking Your assistance! What folly this was!

I had forgotten You, Lord. I had forgotten my source, my Life. I lived as one
having no hope in the world (Ephesians 2:12)? Day by day the human submitted
within me. I saw that I was changing into a machine, whenever I did not become
an animal. Horrible!

But You felt compassion for me, O Tireless Hunter after souls. You suddenly lit
certain brilliant lights in the darkness. I saw.

I perceived that without You everything is futile and loathsome. Suddenly the
value and meaning of prayer was revealed to me. Your godly hands parted the ash
and mud that covered my heart. You found the spark. You blew on it to fan it.
Your breath transformed the spark into a flame.

The fire burns again bright inside me. I thank You.

But the road is long. I still can’t pray, my God. I feel tongue-tied. My lips
are sealed. I try, but I need Your help.

Stretch out Your hand one more time. Touch my lips. Break the seals, and prayer
will gush out like a river from my mouth that until now did not know how to hold
the best words for You.

My God, make me a prayerful person. Connect me through prayer with my eternal
well.

~Taken from Speaking to God, by His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios, Primate of
the Greek Orthodox Church in America. Speaking to God was originally published
in Greek in 1960 by the Christian Student Union, Athens, Greece, and is now
available in English."
Posted on January 8, 2013 03:05 PM by The Christ Family

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We are so sad to lose a friend like your Dad, Ismail. Your family was Brian's
second family. We will miss him dearly. We are blessed to be a part of your
families life. And yes, in the world yet to come for the rest of us, we hope
there are already some reunions going on.
Posted on January 3, 2013 10:09 PM by Ismail Madni

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My father passed on New Years day. He is up there with you now.

Dad really loved you and was devastated by your loss in 2004. I hope you and he
have a wonderful reunion in heaven
Posted on December 18, 2012 03:37 PM by Dinah

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you so much for sharing your experiences in Africa. It is strange how we
can find our children in so many different places (in our hearts). Brian, like
Young Jim, will never be forgotten. I love the way your explained Brian's
symbol. Jim's is a Pegasus because he, like the horse now have wings.
The precious children in CT are remembered in our prayers, and especially their
parents.

Dinah Taylor,
A fellow traveler
Posted on December 15, 2012 11:56 PM by Brian's Mom, December 15,2012

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It has been eight years & we remember Brian with loving, happy memories amidst
the heartache of his absence.

It's hard though to even write today because of the tragedy of the horrific loss
of life yesterday in Connecticut.

The first thing I thought when I woke up today was "Dear God, it's real". The
same thought we've faced every morning since we lost Brian- the reality every
parent faces who has lost a child. That intensity fades but never goes away.

It hard to be faithful in this world but when I was facing the darkness of
living without Brian, faith in God's ability to turn evil into good and His love
for us is what lit my way. It's up to us to carry on His good.

"The way to God lies through love of other people and there is no other way. At
the last Judgment I shall not be asked if I was successful in my ascetic
exercises or how many prostrations I made in the course of my prayers. I shall
be asked did I feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick and the
prisoners: that is all I shall be asked".
by St. Maria Skobtsova of Paris

VERITAS UNITAS CARITAS
TRUTH, UNITY, LOVE

Brian had a tattoo on his upper arm. It was a cross with the words Veritas
horizontally and Unitas vertically. I had only seen it a few times as he only
had it a few months before he died, but was starkly reminded of it as it was
used for identification on the coroners report.

My heart goes out to the parents who will now have a copy of that certificate
for their children.

I heard this on a radio show yesterday- "If you pray, pray and if you don't,
it's a good time to start".

We love you Brian
Posted on December 15, 2012 10:27 AM by Ismail Madni

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

8 years without you. The worst morning of my life.

Life just hasn't been the same
Posted on October 23, 2012 09:44 PM by Brian's mom

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We just got back from a safari to Tanzania. It is something I have wanted to do
since I was a child-going to Africa (remember Daktari?!). Katelyn found the
trip. I jumped at the chance to go and Tony wanted to go too. Thank goodness
because it was something we all needed to experience together. Ashley couldn't
take off b/c her entire hospital system was changing their computer system and
no one could take off until after Jan.! At any rate I knew if I didn't do this
now I may never do it. "Just do it Mom!" was something Brian said to me a number
of times when I would muse about doing something for too long.

I felt Brian's presence with us. It is absolutely something he would have done.
He definetly would have climbed Mt Killamanjaro. We took his compass along that
we ended up happily bestowing to our guide who was thrilled, and we also took
along Brian's flashlight, whistle and backpack.

We met people from the Massai tribe, visited a school and met the children,
stayed in a tented camp in the Serengeti, went to Ngorongoro Caldera (crater)
one of the 7 natural wonders of the world. We saw many animals and experienced
animal behaviors while out on the safari drives, including lions stalking and
chasing zebras at water hole, elephants chasing lions away from their kill at a
river & a leopard pulling it's prey up on a tree branch for herself and her cub.

We even had lions right outside our tent one night from 8:30 pm till 4:30 am
making sounds I will never forget!! Very un-nerving!! The tents were sturdy
canvas but a lion could have easily ripped through it I am sure! We were told
that the wildlife would not bother us while in them because they had no interest
in them or understanding of what they were, and that we'd be fine unless we came
out to encounter the animals face to face. We were instructed to zip up and not
come out till morning, when the guides would be there to meet us. Katelyn was in
the tent next to us and she, like us, stayed motionless all night fearing making
any noise. It was exciting , only after it was over the next morning!

The tents which we were in for 4 nights in the Serengeti had beds, a changing
room, showers and a toilet inside so they were not pup tents & there were
torches lit outside each one-but still!!! The other nights we were in cabins and
lodge rooms.

When I went to a Kentucky conference for bereaved parents about 4 years ago, the
parents picked a symbol for their child. I picked a giraffe for Brian's. On our
trip we saw so many beautiful giraffes. They have such a graceful and peaceful
presence. Here's an excerpt from Brian's site when I wrote about the conference-

"I chose a giraffe because the long neck represents spiritual forsight, they are
very curious, and can defend themselves with one quick blow from their hooves.-
Brian was very curious and bright all through childhood, introspective and
thoughtful in his thinking, and held a blackbelt in tae kwon do. When he was
little he was peaking out through his blinds. When I asked him what he was doing
he said "there might be a giraffe looking in!" I got him a little giraffe that
he carried with him to college. I guess he was facing his fears."

I guess we faced some fears too with the lions!

I know Brian would've loved that we did this. When he was in fourth grade he and
I were reading a book -that I took along on the trip but never had time to read-
called Allen Quatermain by H. Rider Haggard. It is an adventure story into the
center of Africa (Tanzania?). Three men and their guide on a perilous journey of
discovery. Brian and I left the book unfinished. I feel like I finished it with
my own journey.

Just one more way Brian lives in our hearts and our lives.

Love and miss you Brian, Mom

Posted on October 4, 2012 12:15 AM by Dimitri

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Brian

He had an extraordinary intellect

And a wonderful sense of humor

He was kind, and trustworthy

What a good friend he was






Posted on September 16, 2012 09:59 PM by Brian's Mom

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The plaque on Brian's grave holds the words of The Psalmist David who speaks
with trust and confidence of God's walk with him. It offers comfort to the
reader.

PSALM 23

The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell[a] in the house of the Lord
Forever.

We miss you so much Brian. Love you always, Mom & Dad
Posted on September 16, 2012 07:42 AM by Kate

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Happy 30th birthday, Brian! Thinking of you.


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