Bryan is, was, and always will be a legend. He is like a character from a great novel. 

I met him in Bermuda the day before he broke his back in a climbing fall. The following day was his day off work, and, of course he went climbing on the limestone cliffs at the beach. My phone rang. Bryan had fallen while climbing at Horseshoe Bay with friends. He landed on the sand like a cat. They weren’t sure how bad it was. I drove to the parking lot to meet them and get Bryan to the hospital. We arrived and got him triaged to a bed where we waited and waited and waited. The longer we were there, I could tell his pain was increasing. Still no doctor, so no meds. I remember going full Shirley MacLaine from Terms of Endearment on the nurses.  “He needs pain meds!  He needs pain meds!”  I was told there were people there in worse condition. Finally an X-ray. His back was broken. Boy they moved then!  He needed to be flown off the island in a medivac but someone had to accompany him. Fortunately I was not working and got to fly out with him. Having just met Bryan two days prior, we became fast and wonderful friends. These are my first memories of Bryan, but not anywhere near my last or my best. I will never meet another Bryan Caldwell, although the world would be a better place if there were more like him.  

I told you not to go into the wild and die on me. I told you!  But you never promised me you wouldn’t.  I am grateful and privileged to have known you and call you my friend. Forever in my heart and soul. 

Love,

Heidi