Brother 💔 How do I even begin to process that you're gone. I have never heard the actual cracking sound of heartbreak until this week. It can't be, you were larger than life, stronger than death. Your love for your family, Noe and Roux, Brianna, your friends, your adventures...the sheer capacity you held for savoring all of life's treasures seemed to make you immortal. Now, it tethers you here to us for eternity in the inspiration you left behind. How do you mourn the loss of a mentor, a friend, the person who believed in you before you even did? The person who made everyone feel like the most important person in the room, no matter their story or where they came from... The person who always advocated for what's right, who challenged what was possible and forged a path for so many of us to follow in their creative footsteps? You helped me heal shame I had buried, doubts and insecurities, feeling small while swimming through the big, wild world. You shrunk it for me, connecting me with friends and secret spots all over the globe. I watched as you plucked dream after dream from the sky like ripened fruit, shedding limitations, defining your unique truth and seizing it, as you shared your abundance with all you encountered. I met you in Tahiti on a Reef trip as an assistant stylist for the Just Passing Through campaign, but I'd heard your name for almost a decade prior. I adored your brother Alex first as we were in the same year at Flagler, and was not surprised to meet you and learn the Brownley specialness was shared. Tahiti was where my life begun, it changed me forever and having you there made me feel worthy of this dream I craved. You encouraged every step of my journey since, and cheered me on at every ladder rung I climbed. My favorite part of our friendship was texting from airports all over the globe. You were the first person I'd hit up as I'd struggle to stay awake to catch a red eye from Singapore, Tokyo, Brisbane, wherever. We'd swap stories from the road, exchange dorky banter, and share photos of the fam, reveling in each other's joy as globetrotting Dad and Auntie. I'd ask you deep questions about... (continued in comments)