Surviving Love and Death - John Bernd; 8 May 1953 - 28 August 1988

Dear John,

Not a day has gone by in all these years (TWENTY FOUR) that i don’t think about you

Some days even more than others, but everyday.  YOU taught me so much about so much

Because of your friendship, love, wisdom and desire to share your life and your death with me,

i am  who i am 

THANK YOU

How wild that you named your show Surviving Love and Death.  In 1981. You knew you were sick but it was before ‘they’ even had a name for what it was.  YOU, the artist, knew though. You knew that there was many lessons to learn and as many battles to fight.  You taught me well dear John.

And the battles continue.

Every year on the day marking your death I think how many more years I have known you dead than alive and how little that actually matters  EXCEPT  i would give anything to see you grow old and continue dancing and making work and sharing your beautiful soul with the rest of us. 

But i do still feel you doing that, looking after us, and making me see things i would never had seen without you in my life.

the custom made road case John had built for his little red chair

Because of you John Bernd, there will forever be an endless supply of love in my heart

Photo of John Bernd dancing by Dona Ann McAdams. John’s little red chair is in the background.

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