"In Loving Memory of Brennan Joseph Dekeersgieter"The photo made him look young, and I've seen these outpourings of grief for young people lost too soon to the ones who loved them. The name "Brennan" caught my eye next, as it keeps popping up in interesting ways in my life. Reading along I discovered extraordinary words of remembrance a full year after his passing:
"The shadow of loss is all encompassing. We as a family pray time will allow us to rise from the throes of grief and live this life with a sense of adventure and love like Brennan did."This person's presence was deeply felt by those around him. It continues . .
"The grief settles in brief moments, allowing our hearts and minds to fill with all that Brennan was and is."Brother, son, athlete, protector of animals, nature enthusiast. But, he was more than the listed items in every case . .
" . . he wasn't just a dedicated brother, he was an advocate for all his siblings stood for. He wasn't just a son, but a man with a strong sense of duty to his parents."Then . .
"It was the hidden guide that played the pupil so you'd maintain your pride."Whoever wrote this is quite the writer. And such a person is being describing.
I put the newspaper down, musing on these things. Then I thought, what day was he born? I wonder if he was the same sign as the Brennan I know—and about whom so many coincidences have swirled. I thought I remembered a "3", which would mean March, and if it was late in the month it would have meant the same sun sign.
I opened the newspaper and checked carefully. It wasn't a "3" but a "4" and the day was "13" . . the exact same birth date as my Brennan.* Later I connected the middle name with mine.*
Just another one of those coincidences, I guess.
*a birth date also shared with Thomas Jefferson, Samuel Beckett, Eudora Welty, Gary Kasparov, Al Green, Lowell George, Christopher Hitchens, Butch Cassidy, and Guy Fawkes.
**the original Brennan's middle name matches my first name.
