Thirty Days of Thanksgiving - Day Two

Day Two. The letter B. 

Brett, happy at sea

As fate would have it, on the second day of thankfulness, our second-born son’s name appears in the alphabet. Brett. He’s one-half of a matched set – twins born nineteen months after our first son. Can you say harried mom? Scott, his other half will have to wait until his turn in the alphabet, for today I’m grateful for Brett.

Oh, how wondrous are the ways of the Lord. And uniquely made is every part of his creation. Brett, from an early age, had a tender heart for critters (rabbits, hamsters, pups, cats) and set out to ask not why, but how? Always curious, he explored, took things apart (buckets of wires, cords, springs, and the makings of clocks that would never tick again). He wanted to know how things worked and was happier on a tractor than in an English or Math class. Little did we know that the chef hat, Happy Face Pots and Pans and Coast Guard Legos from his childhood were prophetic of the life he would someday lead.

Brett and Cindy

At nineteen, Brett joined the US Coast Guard, became a cook, and has traveled the world for a decade and a half. Russia, China, Indonesia, Panama, Costa Rica, Jordan, Bahrain, and countless other ports-of-call—we’ve been there vicariously through Brett and his travels.

And when he’s stateside with his wife, Cindy, and stepson, Jeremy, we enjoy hearing about his ventures both abroad and at home where he still has a penchant for God’s creatures—four pups that keep Cindy company while he sails the world.

For Brett and all of the men and women who serve our country, I’m grateful. Thank you. You make me proud to be an American. And a mom.