I was planning on calling my brother Howard tonight, which is the second anniversary of the night our father entered hospice, to take his final breath 2 days later. Only if you have lost one of the people in the world that you know loves you, can you understand how profoundly comforting it can be to tell and hear once more the story of their death; the audience for that tale is strictly limited to those who were there. Howard was there for every grueling moment – honest, dignified, prickly, tender – making me and Pammy his sisters immediately, as if our families had always been unified, perhaps because our dear older sister Felice had schooled him so well in big brotherhood.
Instead, tonight, I mark the second day of saying goodbye to Howard, whose sudden death on Saturday seems so impossible, there is no word in my vocabulary equal to the telling. The brutally painful requirements of the last details of his life are being faced by sister Felice and her mom and husband, far away in Colorado, and our family is learning yet again to live without one of those who loved us. And his death, so out of sync with reality as to seem implausible, stands as the cruelest of facts, but is no summation. But I can say this: how I came to know I had a place in my brother’s heart is a story I will gladly tell to anyone who will listen.
what is beautiful remains 
I just came here via Photo Meditations (so, we don’t know each other yet), but I offer my deepest sympathies. I am so sorry. I await your story.
Wow. Howard was a good egg. I would also love to hear the rest of the story.
waiting patiently and with love for all the stories you have to tell
OHHHHH Brenna,
I am so sorry for your pain–again. Obviously, when you want to talk, I am here to listen. We need another Benjamins Deli Day with Chopped liver and Mushroom barley soup. Hopefully, we won’t have to work that same day. I am here, I love you-Tracy
Endless love and support to you………and all the Berkman butterflies!
P.S. For the record, today is All Saints’ Day.
Dear Brenna,
I am so sorry for your loss. I am still mourning the loss of my mom but I know all too well the feelings that come when you lose a brother. I lost my two brothers within 6 months of each other and it was unbearable for a long, long while. I miss them terribly. It felt like part of myself left with them. Please know that my thoughts and prayers are with you.
Love,
Angela
love and hugs