I wrote the first couple verses of this song within a day or two of my wife's passing, which was one year ago today (on January 18th 2021). The opening verse "It's only been a day or two, perhaps a little more" is both literal, given when it was written and metaphorical in the sense that it always seems like just a day or two ago.

Her name was Rea, and she was my best friend and near constant companion for twenty seven years and wife for just shy of twenty two. She died due to complications from Creutzfeldt-Jakob (KROITS-felt YAH-kobe) disease.

To Quote the Mayo Clinic...

"(CJD) is a degenerative brain disorder that leads to dementia and, ultimately, death. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease symptoms can be similar to those of other dementia-like brain disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease. But Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease usually progresses much more rapidly.

... All types of CJD are serious, but very rare. Worldwide, about one to two cases of CJD are diagnosed per million people each year, most often in older adults."

There is no treatment, there is no cure. Victims seldom live even a year after diagnosis and Rea was no different. Her diagnosis came on April 10th 2020, just as Covid was starting to hit big.

I am not a cinematographer, but when it came time to put together a video for this song I knew I had to do it.

The images and video were almost all taken with my phone between 2015 and early 2021. This spanned three generations of iPhones from the iPhone 6 to the iPhone 6S and finally, the iPhone SE 2020. The sources vary in quality, but they all tell part of our story and give a glimpse of who she was.

With a couple of exceptions Rea is either in the included media or was nearby when I took it. She loved to drive and was prone to motion sickness when a passenger. It was my job to chronicle our adventures together.

As an aside, anyone who tells you not to bother to take pictures of people, and the places you visit is clueless. Those people and places may someday be gone or changed forever. You will be glad you have something to remember them by. Seeing her image and hearing her voice is both painful and comforting. It reminds me of what I lost but also, how lucky I was.

In regards to the song, I have two very talented Brian's to thank for the non vocal performances and the production.

Brian Hazard, better known as "Color Theory" created the Piano track which is featured throughout the song as well as the string parts which are present both in the instrumental section and at the end. If you're a fan of 80's style synth driven music then look for "Color Theory" on any of the streaming services or any place you purchase music. "This whole nothing" is my current favorite, but he has an extensive and impressive catalog.

Brian Walters plays multiple guitars and bass. He was also the Mix Engineer, Mastering Engineer and co Producer on the track. Brian can be found professionally via a search for "SingleTrack Sound".

Not only are they talented, they are both great to work with and I am very grateful to know and get to work with them.

I'm in the process of setting up a not for profit in Rea's memory that will be aimed at helping to find treatments, or preferably a cure for CJD. In the meantime, please consider making a donation to the CJD Foundation in Rea's name.