Saying Goodbye to Patrick Brady
Today we say goodbye to one of those rare souls who didn’t just exist among us. He belonged to us in a way that’s hard to put into words. His name was Patrick Brady.
He was a firefighter yes. A man of service yes. But what I’m remembering now is not what he did or even his heroic last act. What I’m remembering is who he was.
This isn’t about the thousands who will line up today or the fire boats sending spray in salute or the stirring speeches. All of those are meaningful. They matter. But they circle back to one essential truth. Who Pat was and how his reach stretched beyond what most people will ever experience. How he touched people.
You didn’t have to know him to feel this loss. He was one of those people whose absence echoes wherever he touched.
Today we are forced to suddenly say goodbye. We are saying goodbye to someone who had the rare ability to make everyone feel seen.
