I am so very sorry for your loss...hugs , prayers, and God peace during this difficult time...angels over you

Seth Branton was oh so many things. He was funny, he could make me laugh through anything. He was intelligent. He carried a lot of knowledge with him. He loved Jeopardy and liked Alex better with the stache than without. Seth had the ability to make people feel good. He was an extremely talented musician and writer. Seth had many wonderful, beautiful aspects about him. Through the good, there was the bad. Seth was in a great deal of pain. Addiction is a monster that rarely leaves survivors. So many of us, if not all, have watched him struggled. Winning some battles, but losing most. I take great solace in knowing his pain and suffering are over.

As human beings we often don't see what is right in front of us. Addiction magnifies that inability. I don't think Seth knew how much love for him there really was in this world. I know he felt like he didn't deserve it, so he tried to push it all away. I speak of EVERYONE'S love for him when I say this. I wholeheartedly believe that he can, not only feel our love, but can accept that love now. That he knows in death what addiction stole from him in life. What it stole from all of us. He sees that now.

Seth caused a lot of pain, and a lot of struggle for many. There is no point in denying that. It is a part of his story. There are a lot of Women with a lot of children that who never knew, or who will never know their Father. It's sad, terrible, and awful. But it is the way that it is. It's just the fact of the situation. The week following his death had been excruciating. One night I was laying in bed, crying, talking to Seth. I said out loud that I needed him here. At that moment I felt our son's breath on my hand and I heard an inner voice saying "I will always be here". Now be it Seth, the Goddess, or my own grief, it didn't matter where the message came from. Only the message did. He is still here. Through his children and through the love that still exists for him in this world.

To his Parents: I am so very sorry that you have lost a child. That pain in unfathomable to me. I hope you can find comfort in your family and your faith.

To his Siblings: I'm sorry you have lost a Brother. I know some were closer to him than others, but none of that matters now. I'm sorry you have to grieve a sibling gone too soon.

To the other Mothers of his Children: I'm sorry for your loss, for I know that loss and share it with you. Please let his death not pit us against each other. We have his children, our babies. Those little humans deserve to know where they came from, more importantly they deserve to to know each other, and that they are not alone in their grief-that they HAVE siblings from their Father.

I want to say this to you Seth, that there were some that still had hope. There were people out there that still loved and cared about you. There was, and will always be belief in you. I still believe in you. Our son will know who you are, what you looked like. He will know of your struggles, and your triumphs. He will know that you were funny, smart, and talented. He will know the good, and the bad- the truth. He will know you loved him, even if you couldn't be there to show it. He will know you I promise.

I'd like to leave you with a poem. The Laughing Heart by Charles Bukowski. Believe me, I understand how cliche Bukowski is for Seth, but he liked it, and it has always reminded me of him.

your life is your life
don't let it be clubbed into dark submission
be on the watch
there are ways out
there is a light somewhere
it may not be much light but
it beats the darkness
be on the watch
the gods will offer you chances,
know them
take them
you cant beat death but
you can beat death in life sometimes
and the more often you learn to do it
the more light there will be
your life is your life
know it while you have it
you are marvelous
the gods wait to delight
in you