Brian

************photo taken of Flathead Lake by Brian Anderson*************

There are few people in life you can say are true honest selfless people. Who do things out of the kindness of their heart and who genuinely care. There are even fewer people who stand up for what they believe in and do things for the greater good, not worried about what's in it for them but what can they do for us.

I opened a treasure chest of those kinds of people when I started to work for Spay Montana. Judy, Sandy, Christine, Kim, Greg, Tiffani, Jonadel, Josh, Sharon, the many others who help us, and even the legendary Dr. Dave are all those kind of people. They make the world a better (usually more exciting) place. A bunch of fun loving kind characters I lovingly call "The Band of Misfits".

We lost one of those treasures last week. Brian Anderson.

*******photo taken of Brian at his job on a Hobby Horse Farm in Polson*****

I have never met someone with such and honest giving heart. He always welcomed you with a smile and took a great joy in teaching others about the cause he believed in and dedicated a lot of time to. It’s very rare to just hang out with someone and be yourself. He made us all laugh and stand in awe of his pure passion for life even after he didn't always have the fair shot at it.

There are lots of people with lots of different problems out there but a good person"s core isn't tarnished just because they haven't made the best choices in life. We all are capable of learning, changing, and growing.

******** Brian teaching someone to hold off a vein at a clinic.********

I hope to never forget the open arms and encouragement Brian welcomed me into the group with. I always want to remember his willingness to teach me and his encouragements that every one makes mistakes. His smile and sarcastic humor were contagious.

There were times when his kindness would show through and it would startle me just how deep it was. It made me look at myself at.

I want to remember our trip to Billings with Tiff where we laughed the whole time. We got lost, we went to a drag show, and how we talked the whole way home. Laughing, crying, and Brian occasionally nodding off. Lol :)

************Brian, Margie, and Tiff photo taken by me********************

The time we stopped at Tiffs new house and room mate and he took me around on a house tour and had me in the back yard eating plums at a stranger’s house. Or his India music playing loud and proud at the clinic in Butte.

*****************Micah helping Brian load the truck. Butte clinic*******

I want to remember the Butte clinic where Micah was there. Although Brian joked with my son who was 8 at the time he treated Micah as an equal. He didn't talk down on him like he was just a kid and that has left a huge impression on him. Brian just encourages you to be you and he was genuinely interested in you. He did joke that he only let kids ask 3 questions at clinics and that he was annoyed by kids but I never actually seen anyone leave Brians presence at a clinic feeling like they didn't learn something.

*********Bart the puppy. Photo taken by Brian*******************

I want to remember the look on his face when he came to me with a tiny sick puppy in Browning during a hard clinic. He was so upset no one would take the puppy, but he took him and he flourished. I want to remember the look on Brians face when he was talking about a good friend or remembering a good time.

I want to remember Brian how we saw him last. Working the clinic after some time away from Spay Montana. In his element and happy to be there. He was always willing to help in anyway he could. I want to remember Kim and I going to visit him in his beautiful hotel room that he had tried to give us. If I could just go back to that moment and give him a hug to let him know how much he means to me I would.

I only knew Brian for some where around 2 years and he has impacted my life in so many ways, my heart aches for the rest of the team who has been working with his for years.

I refuse to believe that the good die young or the good Lord has taken someone because he has better plans for that person and all who have loved that person. God doesn’t have some planning board up there or purposely inflict pain on people. We are all part of the human condition, we are all are born and we all die. It’s the life in between that matters. Even though his life was cut short, Brian made a huge impression on this world (and a trail of crumbs). I know God welcomed him with huge open arms and a great big smile.

***********photo taken by Brian of a Homestead on Lincoln pass*********