About broken hearts



Simon Linder

 I moved to Randolph Avenue November 1998.  It was then I met the kid with the brightest red hair and vibrant always smiling face and quick hi over the fence who lived next door.  I came to know Simon as a great neighbor and friend, son of my friend/neighbor, Lynne, a tremedously talented musician with a creative mind that was always always creating, and I came to know about the heart condition that he was born with...a condition that reared its head from time to time - and each  time Simon rose to the challenge and healed.

Last September he married the love of his life, Steph, at a Girl Scout Camp along the St. Croix River near North Branch. They married in the log building overlooking the river on a brilliant sun filled late summer day surrounded by family and friends of all ages.  They rented the whole camp, so guests stayed in tents and cabins and Yurts...his mom and I shared a Yurt! A first for both of us. 

There is so much to say...and I can't seem to say it ... you see Simon's heart stopped beating around 1:00 this morning and so many hearts are now broken... sometimes there just are no words with any real meaning. 

When he was hospitalized for two weeks on life support a few years ago, I visited him in the ICU as his "Aunt Ginger"...so I could be with him and his mom...tonight "Aunt Ginger" just wanted to see a picture of him and decided to go to Google Images where I entered "Simon Linder Saint Paul Minnesota"...and there he was ... smiling!

I saved Lynne's message telling me "his heart stopped and he died last night"...I have replayed it ... I have talked to her ... hugged her and...promised to keep my cell phone on if she needs anything night or day...and tonight everything moves through tears.  It can be NO other way.