In Memory of Adam P. Kaplan

Adam Paul Kaplan
1983 - 2007

Adam Kaplan was born June 20, 1983 and left his large and loving family to be with the angels on December 28, 2007.  Adam is remembered fondly by his family and friends for his good heart, intelligence and sensitivity, his sense of humor and the twinkle in his Irish eyes.

I met Adam’s mother Christine and Aunt Joanie at my first meeting with the Bridge Rail Foundation in San Francisco. We were gathering to discuss the possibility of launching what is now known as the BRF’s “Whose Shoes?” exhibit. I immediately felt a kinship and connection to Adam’s aunt Joanie and mother Christine. Adam’s aunt Joanie was full of energy like my sister and his mother Christine a bit more reserved like me.  I could see in the two sisters, me and my sister and the love and support that they have for each other in such emotional and difficult times. I could only imagine what a wonderful person Adam was, having gotten to know his mother and aunt.

I knew that Adam was one of the angels that I wanted to make a memory bracelet for and carry him with me on my Overnight Journey.  Several weeks ago, I had the opportunity to ask Adam’s mother if I could make a bracelet with his name and walk in his memory.  I asked her for a little information about Adam so that I could put that into the making of the bracelet. Adam’s mom said that he liked the outdoors and loved his dog.

Adam's Memory (Angel) Bracelet

When I was making the bracelet I tried to incorporate the outdoors in it by using the blue and clear beads to represent water; the green beads for the leaves on the trees and grass, the tiny wooden heart beads the bark on the trees;  the light blue cloudy beads for the sky and the clouds; a few golden beads for the sunlight; a little dog charm for his beloved dog and the center bead a shell for the beach and sand that I pictured Adam running and playing with his dog on.

When I saw both Adam’s mother and aunt at the “Whose Shoes?” exhibit and showed them Adam’s memory bracelet, they both thought it was perfect. When I explained to Adam’s aunt Joanie my representation of the beads from the two things that his mother had told me weeks before “he liked the outdoors… and loved his dog”, she asked me if I were physic.  Joanie told me that Adam took his dog Jenny to Fort Funston and the beach all of the time.  She said that Adam, along with the other angels that I’ve been making what she has renamed  my Angel bracelets, must be speaking to me while I was making them. As unusual as that sounds to some (me included), I have to believe that Joanie was right. With every bracelet I’ve made I have felt emotions that I’m not familiar with and I thought that the last five years I had touched on every emotion imaginable.

Thank you Adam for sharing yourself with me while making your “Angel Bracelet”. I can feel the love and devotion that your family will always have for you whenever I'm in their presence.  Say hello to my personal angel “Larry” when you see him!

"The best and most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even heard,
but must be felt with the heart."
-Helen Keller