Dec. 9, 1983-Feb. 6, 1999 Bryan,   It has only been a short time since you left us, but it seems like a lifetime. Your smile no longer graces our lives, and your laughter no longer fills the air. I know you are in a better place, and it is those of us left behind who are truly suffering. However, this fact does little to ease the pain. You were so young, just beginning your life.   Bryan's 1 old year Baby Picture   How I wish I could turn back the clock, if only to warn you of what was to come. Your life ended so quickly, yet you were doing what you loved best, being with your friends. I only hope that you didn't suffer. The doctor says that you didn't, but I do fear that he only said that to comfort us.   Bryan was and is so precious to us. I want to make this tribute to my beautiful, talented nephew and at the same time it breaks my heart to think that all I can do is this.   Bryan was my sister’s first born son was born and he was the focus of our world simply because he was the first born between my other sister and my only and youngest brother and a reason for us to be alive, we grew up with Bryan. We have had lots of struggles along the way with both our parents being deceased, but Bryan was our priority, I am proud to say that Bryan was/is my nephew.   Along with us are other relatives and the school that Bryan attended who attended the funeral and also share in our grief along with our, Grandparents, Aunt Sue, Donjah, David and a host of others who could easily take up 10 pages.   I have another nephew Joe who is now fourteen, he was 13 when his older brother was killed, I wonder how he will cope with this heartbreaking event that has turned our world upside down and inside out, we love him so much and struggle with letting him become his own individual self, wanting to protect him and find it hard to let him have his freedom, we wonder, "will we see him again" when he goes to spend time with his friends.   Brother Joe   Bryan was 15 when his life ended, he had been attending Chicago International Charter School, on the basketball team and had improved with his grades dramatically within the last year.   On February 6, while riding his bike on the next block someone ran up to him and shot him in the back. Because he was positioned a certain way on his bike the bullet entered through his head and killed him instantly. On February 6, 1999, God did ask us to walk on without him, and Yes the pain and grief is almost more than we can bare…Bryan was a major part of our lives.   Bryan, we are not sure how to continue life without You, we are depending on God to make Away, as He promised that "His Grace is Sufficient," we know that we must continue Life that you would want us to. I want to thank you for the awesome privilege of being your Aunt the few short years You were with me. My journey of being your Aunt along with Motherhood is the greatest gift God gave to me, next to The Gift of His Dear Son, Jesus!   Though it is breaking our hearts, we must say goodbye to the life That we have known with you in it. We will never be the same again. In this life, because part of us went with you. We do pray God allows you to be Our Guardian Angel!   Bryan, thank you for the gift of yourself, that you so freely gave. Your ability to invoke laughter is one of the things that we miss the most about you. What I wouldn’t give for your silly laughter right now. It has been our greatest joy in life to have been graced by your life. You are Forever Our Son, Brother, Nephew, Cousin, God Son and Now Our Angel!   We will never know what Bryan saw or didn't see that day, or what he suffered, we no longer have our child and our lives have be shattered.   We take one day at a time, sometimes its a minute or a second, we wonder what life is for and what it is all about, but we are here and we have to go on for the other children left. I have one daughter, Ashley who is nine years old and Bryan was the center of her attention. He was her hero who could get anything out of her.   Our lives will never be the same for losing Bryan, but we are so much better off for having known him and thank God for the opportunity to love him. The challenge is to remember the lessons that he taught us.   Today is important. The people that you love are most important. Don't get caught spending too much of your time with the people and things that don't really matter. People matter. Things consume our thoughts and time, but don't make our lives meaningful. Touch somebody you love today. Make your life a testimony like Bryan’s life. Then, regardless, of how short or long your life is, your spirit will have a lasting presence in this world.   You are Forever In Our Hearts!     Poem   Don’t grieve for me for now I’m free. I’m following the path God laid for me. I took his hand when I heard him call, I turned my back and left it all. I could not stay another day To laugh, to love, to work or play. Tasks left undone must stay that way, I found that peace at the close of the day. If my parting has left a void, Then fill it with remembered joy. A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss, Oh yes these things I too will miss. Be not burdened with times of sorrow, I wish you the sunshine of tomorrow. My life’s been full, I savored much Good friends, good times, a loved one’s touch. Perhaps my time seemed all to brief, Don’t lengthen it now with undue grief. Lift up your heart and share with me, God wanted me now --- He set me free.   Bryan you were loved!!!!!!!       Our church has a scholarship in Bryan's name. If anyone wants to donate to it they can send all donations to: Debbie R. Reed Bryan C. Reed Memorial Scholarhship Fund Celia Gregg AME Church 740 W. 59th Street Chicago, Illinois 60621 Make donations payable to Bryan C. Reed Scholarship Fund C/O Celia Gregg AME Church       Aunt Debbie and my cousin Ashley   Cousins on a 1999 Disney Trip   Cousins on a 1999 Disney Trip   Cousins, Ashley & Jasmine   Cousins at home             Comments to Debbie Reed (drreed@uic.edu) (Bryan's Aunt).