Thursday, Jan. 21, will be the 26th birthday of my daughter Brooke! Brooke is my second child, being born two years after Cheltsie. I think the second child seems to grow up "tougher" than the first, for they have to learn to fight back to the older sibling's bullying and they seem to need to "keep up."
Brooke was always a tomboy at heart. She dressed prissy and like a girl, but she loved the farm life and outdoors like a boy. She was the one to pick up the frogs and lizards in the house to throw out for me. She was the one to get snakes out of the pool and hook up all the trailers and haul equipment around for me. She loved the farm life and started her own "cattle business" by the age of 10.
Brooke was also my "problem child," as I lovingly called her. Brooke was the reason I had to keep health insurance on the family. From the time she was born, everything that could happen, did happen … to Brooke.
From eye doctor visits starting at four-months-old, to surgery at one-year-old, another surgery at five years old, glasses/contacts, braces, several trips to the hospital for stomach problems, endoscopies, cracked wrists and sprained ankles from gymnastics, The Shriner's Hospital for ankle and knee pain, several hand/finger injuries from basketball and softball, being rammed into fences by cows, pneumonia, several cases of bronchitis, MRI's, continually passing out and being diagnosed with "Neurally Mediated Hypotension" (high pulse/low blood pressure), two endometriosis surgeries and the list goes on. When Brooke got engaged several years ago, I jokingly told her fiancé he better make sure they had a health insurance policy in-tact before they got married.
Brooke gave me a run for my money, for sure! But, having/raising children is truly a blessing from God. There is no greater gift than that of a child. However, there is also no greater responsibility than that of raising a child. We raise our children to the best of our ability and we try to give them the knowledge and courage to stand on their own two feet when we cannot be with them. The most that we can hope for is that when they are "on their own" some of that guidance and knowledge sticks with them and that they then can make the best decisions/choices for themselves.
Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."
Brooke hasn't changed much through the years. Her personality has remained true; she is tender-hearted, but does not show it and will tough out any situation and remain strong to the end; she loves animals; loves the outdoors; loves sports; loves to talk, constantly; her outgoing personality gives her the ability to make friends with anyone; and her love for life, in general, makes her a joy to be around.
It was that same love for life, for animals and for other people that was so evident in her youth, into her teenage years and on into her adulthood that helped her choose the career path of becoming a law enforcement officer, to protect and serve those that she doesn't even know.
Last month, Brooke crossed over one more new threshold in her life – the birth of her own child - and now here we are - the circle of life has been completed.
I could not be prouder of the young lady that Brooke has become. Her moral values, her Christian standards, her work ethics and her dedication to her family and friends are all so astounding. She is such a tremendous, outstanding young woman now, that sometimes I cannot believe she is "mine."
Happy Birthday, Brooke. I love you and I am so very proud of you!
I'm so glad that God gave you to me – 26 years ago!