Thank you Jonathan for sharing this beautiful and insightful and loving eulogy with all of us out here , beyond your experience. I’m sure none of us who read it will go away unaffected by such accepting tenderness from you as his brother, whilst you remain beautifully down to earth. We will remember, and learn from you both, and your Mum.
Once again I have been moved in a most personal way. My brother died in 2019, he also suffered most of his adult life with schizophrenia. He was a prodigiously talented musician and actually achieved a level of fame as keyboard player and prime writer in a well known 70s rock band before this illness took hold. I was 16 when he became ill and my mother travelled from our home in Scotland to bring him back from London. He and I were the most alike in our family of 5 as we were both musicians who were also avid spiritual seekers, we even looked most alike. When my own musical career brought me to London, I was often his sole carer and had to face the struggles of getting help which sometimes involved sectioning. Despite his struggles, there was something endlessly boyish about him and he had a fantastic, left field sense of humour. The bit that really got me in your article was when you wondered if a different approach in the first instance may have resulted in a better outcome. This is something that has haunted me. I wonder if his first breakdown had been viewed as a spiritual crisis and treated as such, would things have turned out differently? His life had so much meaning, in both parts, and he was a huge influence and inspiration in my life, both as a musician and as a soul who never became embittered no matter what life threw at him.
The Whole of the Moon? It was as if someone had read my mind. Earlier this morning when getting up I seemed to feel lighter than normal and as I went down the stairs I could enjoy being bathed in light, permeating into the surroundings. No Moon until I stepped outside. The Moon was smiling to me right above me. It filled me with joy. Made me reflect on the power of the moon's gravity. Able to lift the surface of the sea loch 5 meters or so, it would be nothing for it to make me substantially lighter, being mostly water, also.
Thank you for your honest account of your brother's life and your mother's love. There is nothing as strong as a mother's love for her own children. And beautifully shared with the many who could not forget your brother. He seemed to live a full life right to the end, at times deeply his own, all by the grace of eternity where love resides.
This got to me. A nephew, close friends' children, a first cousin... and some I love so, so much, living precariously now... Mark is in good company. And especially I appreciate your insight, expressed as "...release Mark in our memory, and help him rest in peace in our minds." A friend, Bob Pollack (Columbia U.), wrote a paper around this, locating the soul, after death, in the heart-mind-memory of everyone who loved them. So now you have extended a precious, life out into what is now its community, with such tenderness and trust... thank you.
Wow - tears. Thanks for sharing this personal story. I too lost a brother named Mark who strangely looked like your Mark when he was young - also with mental issues and my mother is from Edinburgh, Scotland.
A buddy of mine lost his older brother to schizophrenia. He (Dr. Kevin Becker) wrote & dedicated this book to his (late) brother https://whoadude-the-book.com
Thank you Jonathan for sharing this beautiful and insightful and loving eulogy with all of us out here , beyond your experience. I’m sure none of us who read it will go away unaffected by such accepting tenderness from you as his brother, whilst you remain beautifully down to earth. We will remember, and learn from you both, and your Mum.
Caroline
Once again I have been moved in a most personal way. My brother died in 2019, he also suffered most of his adult life with schizophrenia. He was a prodigiously talented musician and actually achieved a level of fame as keyboard player and prime writer in a well known 70s rock band before this illness took hold. I was 16 when he became ill and my mother travelled from our home in Scotland to bring him back from London. He and I were the most alike in our family of 5 as we were both musicians who were also avid spiritual seekers, we even looked most alike. When my own musical career brought me to London, I was often his sole carer and had to face the struggles of getting help which sometimes involved sectioning. Despite his struggles, there was something endlessly boyish about him and he had a fantastic, left field sense of humour. The bit that really got me in your article was when you wondered if a different approach in the first instance may have resulted in a better outcome. This is something that has haunted me. I wonder if his first breakdown had been viewed as a spiritual crisis and treated as such, would things have turned out differently? His life had so much meaning, in both parts, and he was a huge influence and inspiration in my life, both as a musician and as a soul who never became embittered no matter what life threw at him.
The Whole of the Moon? It was as if someone had read my mind. Earlier this morning when getting up I seemed to feel lighter than normal and as I went down the stairs I could enjoy being bathed in light, permeating into the surroundings. No Moon until I stepped outside. The Moon was smiling to me right above me. It filled me with joy. Made me reflect on the power of the moon's gravity. Able to lift the surface of the sea loch 5 meters or so, it would be nothing for it to make me substantially lighter, being mostly water, also.
Thank you for your honest account of your brother's life and your mother's love. There is nothing as strong as a mother's love for her own children. And beautifully shared with the many who could not forget your brother. He seemed to live a full life right to the end, at times deeply his own, all by the grace of eternity where love resides.
This got to me. A nephew, close friends' children, a first cousin... and some I love so, so much, living precariously now... Mark is in good company. And especially I appreciate your insight, expressed as "...release Mark in our memory, and help him rest in peace in our minds." A friend, Bob Pollack (Columbia U.), wrote a paper around this, locating the soul, after death, in the heart-mind-memory of everyone who loved them. So now you have extended a precious, life out into what is now its community, with such tenderness and trust... thank you.
Beautiful. He had great taste in music! Great song, great lyrics 💜
Wow - tears. Thanks for sharing this personal story. I too lost a brother named Mark who strangely looked like your Mark when he was young - also with mental issues and my mother is from Edinburgh, Scotland.
Thank you for sharing this beautiful, touching tribute to your brother.
A buddy of mine lost his older brother to schizophrenia. He (Dr. Kevin Becker) wrote & dedicated this book to his (late) brother https://whoadude-the-book.com
A beautiful tribute to the whole person that your brother is/was. Thank you for sharing 💙
🙏🏽