Breakfast With Brent

I will never be a morning person, although most days I can steel myself to get up and at it when day breaks.

But one day this semester it was easy for me to get going: I was meeting Brent for breakfast at the Belmont Diner - take one of my most favourite breakfast places and add in one of my most favourite people, and you have the perfect recipe for a wonderful morning!

Who knew when I hired Brent so long ago that almost seven years later we would be sitting together over Cody Scramblers and coffee (I never could convince him of the merits of tea ...) and catching up on what had been going on in our lives?

Who knew that that bashful teenager would turn into a fully fledged adult able to think for himself and able to tackle what life throws at him, both the tough and the tender?

It hasn't been easy to achieve all that he has accomplished in these years. It's required single-minded dedication, discipline at a level we don't witness in many post-adolescents; a denying himself some of the many extracurricular activities that university life offers at every turn; and a determination to succeed in reaching his goals.

And in all those tough areas, he has indeed more than succeeded. 

Fortunately, there has always been in Brent a tender side too. He is part of Big Brothers / Big Sisters and every week he makes time for an elementary school kid who doesn't really know how to be a kid. Brent hangs out with him, plays games with him, and is generally the great big brother he's been to his own younger brother all these years. He also spends time with a senior citizen, going for coffee, listening to his stories. He's president of a mixed martial arts club. He runs marathons.

And - best of all! - he's met his match in a wonderful woman who complements him, challenges him, encourages him and cares for him.

The caption he has on this profile picture is "She's got it all" - and I would agree, because in addition to being more impressive, more endearing to me each time I've had the privilege of being in her company, I see how everything good she adds to his life, he brings back to hers.

Happy 22nd birthday, child of my heart. My Dad's life's verse is the one I want to leave you with as you enter into your last semester of undergrad and prepare for the fresh challenges ahead:

"Faithful is He who calls you, who also will do it." 1 Thessalonians 5:24 

I am so very proud to be your friend.