CityView Magazine

16 April 2021 and brother and sister and all his pals to be a part of the knowledge that Brett had chosen his path wisely. He did not need a song to inspire him to live like he was dying. He lived the same way from the time he came back to Fayetteville. Brett did walk away from all that sickness on March 17, 2021. More accurately, he flew away. His little dog of 13 years preceded him in death by a month or so. In the past, I have cried and written about crying about dogs dying. So I know the response. Serriah cried for Gracie, more so in knowing her loss would not end there. Elizabeth discovered Mom in tears and counseled her to pretend that Gracie was in the next room, and that way, Serriah would not miss her as badly. Out of the mouths of babes… I stood up for the family at the funeral to recount the life of Brett and to assure them that he was in the next room now. We cried some and we laughed a lot, because Brett was a particularly funny guy on top of being kind and craving his simplicity. Still, it was a heavy load for everyone in the front five pews. It weighed heavy on our preacher; he told me so before we went inside. And honestly, it weighed heavy on me. In the parking lot aer the service, when almost all had departed to go hug someone that maybe they had forgotten to hug that morning, Gary asked me to go to the car with him. He wanted to give me something. He popped the trunk and inside was a nearly new 9-foot Orvis #6.5 fly rod with an Orvis Battenkill reel. "is was Brett's. We want you to have it." Odd thing it is that I stood in front of those mourners in that sanctuary, knowing that many more were probably watching on the livestream, and in 15 minutes of storytelling, I never shed a tear. I did my duty of trying to minister to the broken-hearted. When I saw that rod and reel in the trunk of that car, I broke right on down and cried on Gary's shoulder. He said I could hang it on the wall or fish with it – whatever I wanted. Hang it on the wall? Naw. Brett and I are finally going fishing. Bill McFadyen can be reached at propertybill@nc.rr.com. Play Ball! i A home filled with art, collectibles and family treasures i The best for pet lovers COMING IN MAY

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