Heartbreak and Hurricanes

As I am sure some of you have noticed, the last two weeks have been blog free. I'm sorry for that, but unfortunately there are two good reasons. The first is that Hurricane Florence hit my area of NC hard. Massive flooding has had some sections of North Carolina completely cut off, until just this week. We lost power during the storm, and it came on Sunday. We were blessed to escape any damage to our home or property, but unfortunately,  our family can't say that same. This leads me to the second reason there was no blog lately. Tragically, last Monday, in the early morning hours, my grandfather and cousin passed away.

I know that not all of you know my family, so here's a quick history lesson. My grandmother and grandfather raised my cousin, Brittany, from an early age. We lost my grandmother in January of 2016, and it was a hard, hard blow. This, however, has blown us apart. It's hard to comprehend one sudden death, but two is a tragedy I wouldn't wish on anyone. I know how much both of my grandparents loved Brittany, and I know that living without her here would have destroyed them. Likewise, Britt couldn't have coped with the loss of both of them gone and her here. I know in my heart that as hard as it is to lose them all in so short a time, this is the way that God has deemed it should be. That knowledge doesn't stop the pain. It doesn't keep the flood of memories at bay. It doesn't stem all the tears that have flowed for a week now.

My granddaddy once told me, shortly after Britt was born that he had four knees. When I asked him what he meant, he grinned at me and pointed to his knees. "well, I have this knee, and this knee, and a Courtney and a Brittany." I can't describe the heartbreak of knowing that I am now his last "ney" on this Earth. It is now my job to walk this world for him, and try to honor him and Brittany as best I can. God, I miss his smile already. I miss his hugs. I miss him, and the essence of who he was. I could go on for days, but I won't. I'm not sure my heart could take it.

Granddaddy was a police officer for 20 years. He served our town and was well liked, and a wonderful person. At his service, he received the honors of "Amazing Grace" on bagpipes and T.A.P,S., as well as Masonic rites. For Brittany, however, we did things a little differently. I stood for my family and spoke about our girl, the one that we all raised and loved so much. Below is my speech to her, and the body of this week's blog. Next week, I will try to get back on schedule, but bear with me, friends. It's been a hard few weeks, and more are to come. But for now, I want to share my words about my sweet Brit Bratt.

Today, as I stand before you, celebrating Brittany’s life, I am reminded of a song lyric from the musical Hamilton. The song says, “I don’t pretend to know the challenges we’re facing, I know there’s no replacing what we’ve lost.” While this is true, I don’t want this moment to be only sadness. She did not live her life in sadness, and she would not want us to dwell there now. I believe that we can best honor her life today by sharing some of the happy moments she gave us, and there are so many.  

Brittany was brought to us on the winds of Hurricane Fran in 1996, and she went Home with Hurricane Florence. From the time she came to us, she was nothing but joy and light. As a baby, she had the blondest hair, so blonde it was nearly white. It was stand up all over her head, almost like dandelion fluff.  Even from her earliest days, she shined so brightly. Always one to go her own way, she didn’t crawl in the traditional sense. Instead, she would wiggle, scooting her head across the floor until she got to where she was going. She had the best disposition, and always had a ready smile.  

As she grew, we discovered the Brittany that everyone would come to love. An old soul with a childlike spirit, she spent every day of her short life bringing joy to everyone that knew her. Her heart knew no hatred, no malice, no unkindness. Brittany knew no strangers, and truly only saw the good in everyone she met. She was always ready with a hug and a smile.

From her earliest days, Brittany was the brightest light. Her smile could outshine the sun. Her laugh was always genuine, always heartfelt. There was no pretense about her or artifice. She loved Winnie the Pooh, the color red, and music. I remember her from her earliest years, bopping in the backseat to “Wanna Talk About Me” by Toby Keith, or whatever song was playing on the radio. More than anything, Brittany loved her family. There was never a time that you saw her that she didn’t drop everything to give you a big hug, and ask you how you were. Brittany never shied away from the words “I love you”, like so many of us do. Instead, she always made sure that you knew how she felt.

Brittany also loved animals. She rescued Lucky, her beloved 3 legged dog, and they shared beautiful years together. I know that he was waiting there, ready to greet her Home. Her sense of wonder over any animal, whether it be a dog, or a cat, or even a squirrel scurrying up a tree was infectious. She only knew how to love wholeheartedly, which is why I believe she shared such a kinship with animals.

Children loved Brittany. Her purity of spirit, and vivacity drew them in. And my, did Brittany love them back. She could talk to them and relate as not many can, and children sensed that. She would play any game, sing any song, and talk to children for hours. Rarely did she see a baby that she didn’t hold or cuddle.

I have spoken to so many people that have reached out, and all have said the same thing: Brittany was one of a kind. She was sweet. She was kind. She was funny. She was good to others, and genuinely cared. Her loss in this community will be felt for a long, long time to come. To all of you that have reached, out, we as a family thank you. Our loss is yours as well.

I honestly believe that some souls are so pure and good, that they are only loaned to us for a short time. Brittany is one of those souls. Her purpose here like a shooting star: to briefly illuminate our lives and bring us joy and wonder. My sweet Britt Brat, we loved you and we always will. Your time here cannot be defined by years, but only by the precious moments and memories that we share. You changed every person that met you, for the better. Rest now, our sweet girl.

I urge you all to hug those you love. Don't shy away from telling them how you feel. You never know when you may not have the chance again. Until next time.