So off we went to Melbourne, where we were greeted by Bridget and a very nervous young man named Hayden. He was very polite, all smiles, and jitters. Bridget said, “I hope you like him, not that it really matters, but it will make it easier.” Needless to say that yes we liked him. How could we not, he managed to capture Bridget’s heart and in the process ours as well. After a late breakfast we drove to Hayden’s parent’s house, as they had asked us to stay with them while we were in Melbourne. “The house” where Bridget, Hayden, Mike, and Pat lived was a little crowded for two over-night guests.

Rod and Sue Sweeney and Hayden’s sister Courtney, welcomed us into their home, which they had lived in for less than a month, where we instantly felt like family. The next day was Sunday and the Sweeneys cooked a huge dinner, a spread to rival Thanksgiving, with traditional and family favorites. B & H received their first wedding gift, a set of towels that Bridget looked at like they were poison. “I didn’t want wedding gifts.” Hayden just smiled and took the towels home.

The Sweeneys let us borrow a car to drive B & H back to “the house.” The four of us took a walk to a park to plan the wedding day, which was the next day Monday April 23, 2007. Bridget pulled out a notebook and started making lists. The conversation went something like this:

“We need to be to the courthouse by 5:00 PM.”
“Let go to St. Kilda for breakfast, mom how much time do you need to get ready…add in time to take the train to Sweeney’s and back downtown…OK we can walk around until till 2:00 PM.”
“Are we meeting in the park before hand?”
“We should have some food if we do.”
“OK…strawberries, crackers, cheese, champagne…oh, we’ll need to go to the store and get plates, cups, napkins…How many people are coming?
“I think we’re at 11.”
“Let’s not meet for food in the park, this is getting too complicated.”
“Did Holly book the restaurant for after?”
“Yeah, they said Monday night?…No worries, mate.”

And so we had breakfast in St. Kilda (kinda like Santa Cruz) and walked and talked and got to know our soon to be son-in-law. Rode the train to the Sweeney’s, rode the train back downtown and met the rest of the group at the courthouse.

The ceremony took slightly less time than the seatbelt safety demonstration on the flight down. They were supposed to get married in the room that seats eight people, but since we were 11, and it was Monday night at 5:00, they let us have the big room, at no extra charge. Bridget and Hayden met the magistrate and she started to go over the details…

Magistrate: Attendants?
Bridget and Hayden in unison: No
Flowers?
No…Can you turn off the music? (1970s love songs)
Sure… Rings?
No
OK, you can choose a short ceremony or a slightly longer one.
Short!
OK…let’s get started.

After the very short exchange of vows we were off to the Vietnamese restaurant for the wedding reception. Champagne and beer flowed, the food was good, and we all had a great time. The younger crowd (all seven of them) went on to party late into the night and the parent-in-laws went back to the Sweeney’s.

Through all of this and on into the next week, when Bridget and Hayden traveled with Kevin and me to Sydney, we caught glimpses of the affection and love that the newlyweds shared, a look, a touch, a smile. We were so glad to be a part of their lives as they set out on this new adventure of being married. In the months that followed we could sense that Bridget was becoming settled with where she was in life. She had found someone to share her life with and they were planning their future together. It’s just that none of us knew how little time they had.

Even though I only knew her for a short time, I have always admired Bridget’s accomplishment at the Daily Bruin as a photo editor and photographer. Even though we were cross town rivals (USC Daily Trojan), she was always there to support our photography programs for which I will always be eternally grateful.

She will be greatly missed and the world is just that little bit emptier without her ready smile.

1. She taught me way more then I ever taught her. That was true of a couple of students, but let me tell you, it was IMMEDIATELY clear when I met Bridget that she was a lot sharper and more worldly than I.

2. I always felt like Bridget - like nobody else I’d met before or since - could just see right through you. I felt like she had the ability in an instant to see you for who you truly were. I mean that in both minor ways (her b.s. detector was infallible) and big ones.

She lived her life her way, and I admired her like I do few other people.

I pulled them out when I heard of her death and laughed and cried. She always had such wit and such an incredible sense of humor that even in my despair at losing such a wonderful friend she made me laugh. Thanks Bridget.

I lost touch with Bridget after high school and was so glad to see from this website all the lives she has touched since then and all the excitement and enthusiasm that she continued to have toward life. I envy her for that. She is an inspiration to us all.

One memory that sticks out in my mind of Bridget is this. I remember hanging out at her house in high school in Tucson and listening to the Weezer song, “Buddy Holly”. Bridget sang and danced to that song like it took over her. Her hair flung all over place, her smile spread across her face. She was such a free spirit. She was so happy. She lived in the moment and loved each moment as it came at her and taught us to do the same.

I will always miss you and I’ll try to make you proud. I’ll even take a few pictures for you along the way.

Love,

Jenny Fonda
The Fac-lon
Jenny-fur
Jenny Grimmy
and all the other names you came up for me over the years

When Bridget was photo-reporter for a newspaper in NY I went down there from Montreal to do a documentary on Christmas Trees… my low budget crew and me needed a place to stay… so Bridget opened us her house.. we even had our own room.. the next days she came with us around NY.. with her photo equipement lens and stuff taking pictures of the crew.. Those profesionnals pictures are in my portfolio now… she burned that on a DVD and all the crew was so so excited about those pictures.. I was so proud to be her friend.

Summer 2005.. travellers from California.. Bobby, Fat Pat, Mike Beach and Kangooroo Hayden decided to come visit in Montreal.. Bridget still in NY decided to join the team.. They arrived in my little city called Valleyfield.. summer city.. water city.. We had the crazyest time for the whole weekend.. Beach had this little weird guitar.. and he played music for hours around the fire with Hayden.. They were unstoppable.. This weekend we went at the Regates.. a big boat race.. and everybody there was so surprise to see Californians and an Australian in town.. Once again, I found myself lucky to have such good friends, some crazy traveller.. who will drive or fly from anywhere to everywhere.. to have a good time with the people they care about..Bridget was that kind of person that would do anything to be with the ones she loved anywhere around the world…

Thank you Bridget for your love of life… thank you to the Block Members and to Mike Beach to be who you are.. a little part of Bridget.

My heart goes out to Mari and Kevin, I cannot even begin to imagine what they must be feeling. What can you say other than there is nothing to say? Although time may help to leessen the pain, I know there will always be an emptiness in Mari and Kevin that can never be filled.

Goodbye, Bridget. I wish I had known you better.

Australia is beautiful, Hayden’s family is wonderful and, as much as we’re all committed to doing what we can to make good things come from a bad thing, Mari, Conor, Kelly, Craig and I wish we weren’t here right now– not for this, anyway.
If the journey is the reward, Bridget and Hayden both did very well…