Saturday, April 4, 2015

And Then..


I found out this morning that one of my oldest friends, a man I've known for forty-five years, died this morning. Walked into work, had a heart attack, died.

I've written about him before. I have no idea when or where. But I'll tell you this- he was the link to most of who I've known and where I've been for my entire life.

I talked to my first husband today. My ex, I suppose we must call him. He knew Brian in the eighth grade. They were in Boy Scouts together. The Soul Patrol. Went on to be great friends, played music together right up until last New Years when Jerry went down to Central Florida to play a gig with him.

"Jerry," I said. "We would never have met if not for Brian. We wouldn't have our children."

We both broke down.

I'm not going to do a full on obit here tonight. I just can't. This has hit me hard as hell. I literally had to go to bed this afternoon. Slept for two hours. If I tried to start sorting through my memories of him, it would never end.

Musician, bad boy, best heart you ever met. Wicked smart. Always on the side of the disenfranchised. Fearless to an unhealthy degree. More talents than you could put in a canyon of the Grand proportions. More friends than can be imagined.

He was like Keith Richards. You couldn't believe he was still alive. You can't believe he'd ever die.

Brian Churchill Everhart.

My god. I can't imagine a world without him in it.




30 comments:

  1. Oh, no, Mary, I'm so sorry.

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  2. So very very difficult. Sending hugs.

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  3. this is going to be more and more as we lose our friends.. Heartfelt condolences to you all.. he seemed like a very huge character, and big in your lives... hugs from across the pond.. dear Mrs Moon..x

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  4. I am so sorry for you loss. Gail

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  5. Very sad. I reamember you writing about him. Death is bullshit.

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  6. I am so sorry, Ms.Moon. Take good care.

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  7. I am so sorry for the loss of your dear friend.

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  8. Oh honey, I'm so sorry for your loses; your friend (way too soon) and Elvis. I'm crying a bit in my living room for Elvis, a beautiful boy if I ever saw one. Meanwhile we're waiting on the babies over here on the coast, as usual. All the comings and goings.

    And we tend our bit of earth.

    Let Evening Come
    BY JANE KENYON
    Let the light of late afternoon
    shine through chinks in the barn, moving
    up the bales as the sun moves down.

    Let the cricket take up chafing
    as a woman takes up her needles
    and her yarn. Let evening come.

    Let dew collect on the hoe abandoned
    in long grass. Let the stars appear
    and the moon disclose her silver horn.

    Let the fox go back to its sandy den.
    Let the wind die down. Let the shed
    go black inside. Let evening come.

    To the bottle in the ditch, to the scoop
    in the oats, to air in the lung
    let evening come.

    Let it come, as it will, and don’t
    be afraid. God does not leave us
    comfortless, so let evening come.

    Love always, dear heart,

    Beth

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  9. I'm so sorry. A sudden loss is so difficult.

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  10. So very sorry Mary, you are in my thoughts and prayers.

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  11. Oh, Mary. This is beautiful. And I'm so sad for you and all those who knew and loved your beautiful friend. Just shit, too.

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  12. Oh, Mary. I'm so sad for you.
    Beautiful man with a beautiful name.

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  13. Oh, Mary. What a loss. So very sorry for all who loved him.

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  14. it's the sudden ones I think that are hardest. so sorry Mary.

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  15. Mary, Mary.
    That was full of so much Love. He sounds like a person who could Love like you do - with everything you have, with everything you are. Such a good, good man.

    So glad Glenn is coming home soon. But you are being held by so many right now.

    Love to you and Brian Churchill Everhart.

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  16. Oh dear me. I am very sorry for your loss. There is something in the air today. It's the anniversary of MLK's assassination. My uncle died of a heart attack early this morning. And we just learned of another death in the family, on my husband's side, that happened this morning. May we all snuggle with our loved ones...

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  17. Will our hearts ever be able to bear all this loss? I am sorry, Mary. And why do the good ones leave this earth way too soon?

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  18. Oh Mary I am so sorry. So much dying lately. It's too much. Holding you, friend. Loving you.

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  19. So sorry, Ms. Moon.
    And that's a beautiful poem, Beth.

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  20. Lively, vital, talented people I knew when I was young: they are disappearing. They are gone. It is daunting. I'm aware of mortality every hour of every day now. I'm sorry for your loss, Mary.

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  21. I'm so sorry for this loss, Mary, especially coming as it does when you were already hurting. Wishing you comfort and strength and peace.

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  22. Oh no. Not another loss. I am so sorry, once again. You are really getting hit with multiple whammies.

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  23. Too much death and loss and all at once. I am so sorry. You are being held by us. We are here for you. We love you. I love you.

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  24. I'm so very sorry for your loss, Mary. Losses. Ugh, this is turning out to be s shitty Easter.

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  25. Condolences and love to you
    always,Dear Mary.

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  26. Oh Mary, I'm so sorry. I send you love. What a terrible thing.

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  27. Very sad that your friend died. Every loss seems to take something from me. I think it probably does the same with you. And the thing is, if we both live long enough, we will see so many others that we love go. Life and death--it's as much of one as the other.

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