In My Mind I’m Gone to Carolina

This is one of my all-time favorite images. It’s of my best friend, Matt, and his niece Grace. The picture captures so much about Matt…his patience, his gentle nature, his lovely demeanor, the deep importance he placed on family.

He was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer Labor Day 2019. He died 5 months ago, almost to the day. Today was his 53rd birthday.

Matt was literally the brother I never had. He and I fought. We loved. We argued. We conspired. We avoided each other. We taught. We learned and listened. We shared our joys and our failures and our deepest, most dark secrets. I was part of his family and he of mine. There are few humans I have loved more. I count them on one hand.

Happy Birthday, my brother. You changed this world. I miss you each and every day.