When I first met Brad, he was 2 years old. Brad had a mind of his own. He was a handful. He was a joke-ster flashing a mischievous grin whenever you caught him in a prank or in the process of planning one.
If you know Brad, you know the look.
I figured he’d would grow out of it. At times, I prayed he’d grow out of it... but, he never did. Whenever I would see his face, it was not long before it held that look. That grin.
I have to admit that there were times I wasn’t in the mood for that grin.
But now... Now, I crave it.
That infectious smile that required you to move from one emotion to another.
It took me a while to realize it, but Brad longed to do that in life. He lived to move others from one emotion, whatever it might be, to an emotion that required a smile.
Sure, he would be serious sometimes. Sad. Mad. Frustrated. But he would always lace his mood, his situation, his decisions with that classic 2-year old mischievous grin.
On his myspace page, there’s a section where he could write a little description of himself.
This is what he wrote:
I am a very open-minded individual. Extreme optimist, always looking at the brighter side of things, even when it's hard for others to see...Things always happen to me...good, bad, it's all the same to me...Always trying to smile...I like to smile, almost as much as I enjoy feeling others smile. And I smile even more if I played a part. I love life--I look at it as a grand adventure. There's a secret to it, you have to learn to ride the waves...Human bodies naturally float, right? Since I was born I have grown strong, straightforward, intellectual, philosophical, AWARE, fearless but respectful, proud but humble, adventurous, spontaneous, empathic, romantic...A thinker as well as a doer. I don't bullshit--the things I believe in are Peace, Love, HOPE, Loyalty, Selflessness, JOY, Destiny, Respect, Honesty---I never lie...unless it's the right time....Timing is everything...Timing is perfect-----So over the years I've learned Patience as well. I am good and bad--I am everything, yet I am nothing...I am as wild, ferocious and destructive as the most savage of beasts, but as calm and gentle as a Sunday breeze....or the serenity of the sea....I am nothing more than a gift to Earth--a caretaker, cultivator and motivator.
- Brad Flamm
There will always be a special place in my heart for Bradley. There will always be a hole in the fabric of our family when we gather in the future. A critical element missing in the chemical mix. You are truly missed, Brad.
