The Bond of Brothers- Not by blood

This photo here is some of Shane's brothers that he was lucky enough to acquire while at Deerfield Academy. He was proud to be a member of this group- the memories these guys made in four years will be with them for a lifetime. When I look at this photo my heart smiles, I can hear their voices and their laughter. I believe that these boys will keep the memory of Shane alive forever, and I also believe that these are also Colin's brothers.

Shane lived on campus his Senior year because of Covid restrictions- he was away from his brother Colin-but he was deepening his bond with these brothers. Spending his Senior year on campus gave him the opportunity to strengthen and deepen these relationships. It also gave him opportunity for some shenanigans and mischief. We missed Shane being at home - it was not the same, the house was quiet. It was giving us a taste of what the house would be like when Shane left for college.

Even though we worked for Deerfield we were not "supposed" to have any contact with him. Mike was able to steal moments when he would drop off food from the dining hall to his dorm, often picking up a bag of dirty laundry in the process. When Deerfield started to allow food deliveries to campus I was happy to steal any moment I could to see him. Even if i felt like a door dash or Uber eats driver dropping off 12 packs of beverages and 100s of chicken nuggets from Wendys with bags full of special sauce . Getting a moment with Shane was worth the trips out even if the Wendys drive thru people thought I was a bit crazy. Up to this point I did not even know you could get 50 piece orders of chicken.

I have spent a lot of time these past several days thinking of all these boys and their Senior Spring at Deerfield in 2021. This photo was taken at a spot called Gordie's Bench, its a spot I have visited often since Shane's passing, I find comfort here. The bench overlooks many of the playing fields and the river. I think of Shane, these boys and his other friends he made along the way. I think about how much he loved this valley, how much he valued the education he had received and I think about how much we miss him.

To all of you that read this- if you ever want to sit with me- I will always be ready to talk about either of my boys. And to the boys in this photo- and the other boys- you know who you are. I hope you'll always know how much your brother Shane loved you.