William Bretfield “Bret” Black

Oh my Bret, I just found out that you are gone from this earth. My heart is broken into. We go way back and have thousands of good times...the beach, the parties at my daddy's house, the beach, the beach and the beach. I still have letters that you wrote me. I love you more than you will ever know. You are a special soul and I know that God is taking care of you. I will miss you forever and ever. You are in my heart and soul. My life will never be the same without you. You were not only my best friend but you were my brother.

I love you.

Cindy

To Bret's Family and Friends,

It has been said that:
The meeting of Two Personalities
is like the Contact of Two Chemical Substances.
If there is any reaction,
BOTH are transformed.

I believe that we can agree that we have all been transformed by knowing Bret in one fashion or another. You cannot have met him and not be changed, it is impossible. Bret was a force to be reckoned with and like his mother, on his terms too, however, he would make it seem as though the results were your idea - he didn't care if he got the credit for it. He was pleased that you were contented.

Time is a concept that we were born without but were forced to learn to live with. It's that cruel joke that the universe plays on us making us perform what is important to us much faster than
we are sometimes comfortable with. The reward for having to deal with its limiting and sometimes crippling parameters is that we get back that endless enigma called eternity with which to share with our loved ones. How very pleasing is that?

Albert Einstein had stated that matter and energy are one. It is just the speed at which they travel that determines what format it takes. The universe is ever expanding. It is my belief that it is because God is always busy creating new life and making more room for all that He has created. When He created us in our mother's womb, He placed that spark of energy which we call life into each and every one of us. Once that energy was created it can never be removed or deleted from creation. That love, our energy, may take on different forms as we pass from this life to the next but always remember friends that in 100 million billion years from now, that spark of energy that was once created by God and was later named William Bretfield Black by his earthly parents will still exist as strong and as forceful it was at the moment of his creation. That love will never diminish or die.

So my friends, when you hear those doorbells ringing and no one appears to be there, you hear that small sweet voice talking to you at times of despair or delight in your joyous times, light bulbs flash on and off, electronics are not working properly or perhaps you just feel Bret's presence in the room, it may simply be his energy slowing down enough to manifest itself for you to know that Bret and all of the angels assigned to him are watching over you.

I am blessed for having met many of you and Bret was truly blessed for being able to share his life with you. May your hearts find God's peace at this time of sorrow and remember that Bret would not want you to feel down but would want you to pick up those boot straps and move forward with a zest for life like that which he had.

If you cannot find that peace and understanding take a moment to invite the Lord, Jesus Christ into your heart and simply ask Him to give you that peace by making Him your savior and eternity will be ours to share with our loved ones that have gone before us.

Bret, Thank you for your love - it is a timeless gift that I will cherish always. Until we meet again.........
- Jim Bartko

My Dear Bret,
We only met a very short time ago but to me it seems like a lifetime. I wish my heart was able to write what great loss I feel without you here by my side. We were beginning something very special that we had both been searching for for quite a long time and we were both very much aware of that. That deep, undeniable kindred spirit that we shared allowed us to completely be ourselves with each other in short order paving the way for our futures. Had we known that those days would be so very short lived I would never have left you out of my sight so that I could have more memories of you to cherish. My heart aches for you. Each day I say to myself, I wish you were here so we could both experience new things and watch each other grow old together, taking care of each other in good times or not so good times. I am in envy of those that had the opportunity to be your friends for so many years. They all speak so very highly of you. I would expect nothing less than that because you were a prince among men. You were my royalty. I shall always cherish the time that we did have together. Your name is always on the tip of my tongue and the current thought in my mind and forever written across my heart. You will always be that bright light in my life. Your light shone bright, Bret. (From what I hear it shone Rainbow Brite!). For the rest of my days as I walk along any beach I will always think of you, the time we did have together, the thoughts of what may have been and the peace of knowing that someday we will be together again in eternity. My dear Bret, I have to trust God that he knows what he is doing by taking you from us so early because we surely need you here but I have to believe that He has a greater need for you in heaven. When I look at all of the stars in the night sky I will be searching for yours. I take solace in knowing that you will be watching over all of us that loved you. Many of your friends have become mine as well. I thank you for them. You chose good quality and fun people to be a part of your life. I am also thankful to have been one of those that you had chosen to share your life with. You had opened up to me in ways you never have to others before me - that takes trust and understanding. You were a man of great character, great quality and great love of your fellow man. I thank God for placing you in my life, although it was short in time it is eternal in my heart. I don't want to finish this message as it will seem that you have gone too far away from me as I am lost and heartbroken without you here with me. I miss you more than I will ever be able to place into words. Your family and friends have been so very kind to me, so loving, so caring and accepting of me as I am. Even though their loss was greater than mine, they were able to reach out and console me; what wonderful people. I hope that they stay in my life as it will also help keep you alive in my heart. By the way, my son Joshua is also heartbroken for you. Because of you he was able to see me smile again for the first time in a very long time. For that I am also thankful. I refuse to say goodbye my friend, so it shall be: "Bret, I LOVE YOU and MISS YOU VERY DEEPLY, so until we meet again......................."
- Jim