Hi Friends! On March 6, 2010 I will be participating in the 5th annual Yogathon for Schizophrenia. It will be a union of Karma and Hatha yoga to raise funds for the Schizophrenia Society of Ontario's Early Intervention Program. SSO's Early Intervention program raises awareness of the early signs and symptoms of psychosis, and enables them to better support families facing the early onset of psychosis or schizophrenia. This is invaluable to their efforts to increase early diagnosis, leading to better treatment and enhanced chances of recovery among young people. A program like this would have been very helpful for my brother Jimmy - that's Jimmy and me in the photo when we were young. I am participating in this worthwhile fundraiser to help those like Jimmy...... Jimmy, I don’t know who had more freckles, me or you. You were the one who ate all your pea soup and got to go to the circus. I didn’t get to go. You secretly opened all of the Christmas presents and then carefully re-taped them back together - you knew who was going to get what but never told. Left motherless at a young age, you were the oldest of four so you had to baby-sit us – you’d put us to bed so that you could watch Planet of the Ape movies and we’d sneak right back out again. You tickled me so much that I laughed so hard that I couldn’t breathe and then I cried even harder. You took us to the Science Centre and we took off our shoes and shuffled and ran down the long carpeted halls in our socks until we became electric and shocked each other. You ate all the chips. You wanted to watch hockey, I wanted to watch The Love Boat. And you sang White Christmas every year at the School Christmas Concert which I secretly loved even though I was thoroughly embarrassed. You broke the girls hearts. And when you were grown up and had a job you took me to lunch because "that’s what big brothers are for". A talented artist - a writer, a painter, a musician. - you played the saxophone and the guitar. You comforted me when I was down. You are, now, living on the street. Stepping over the cracks on the sidewalk. Stealing food. Living in stairwells and under bridges. Riding the subway or walking for hours. Long hair, scraggly beard, ill fitting clothes, wide empty eyes, talking to yourself or figments of your imagination. They think you’re a bum, but I know different. I know how special and fabulous you are – my brother, my best friend, taken by schizophrenia. And I know where you are – in my heart, now and for always. Love, JoJo Another message to Jimmy from our friend Sandy Topper: Dear "Jimmy B Goode" You were that quiet good looking guy in my music class all through high school. I admired your talent, I wanted to play the saxaphone as good as you. I practiced and practiced until I made the stage band. I was the only girl - you never made me feel inferior. In grade 11 & 12 we goofed around alot - giggling in the back row - eating M&M's - Cause We Could - teacher didn't mind cause we were the best musicians in the class. I think about you everytime I hear a Saxaphone - especially our Dueling Sax Solos in "Johnny B Goode". Love Sandy