Sunday, June 14, 2009

Making a Difference

Yesterday we went to a wedding for a very dear friend. He actually is more like a son to us and means the world to our family. Brad has a long history with us and it just keeps getting better.

At the age of 15, he came to work at our farm and was a little wet behind the ears. Dan thought he was a pretty cool guy and was glad to have another male in the mix. Brad was a quick learner and hard, diligent worker. But he had difficulty making good choices sometimes.

Brad continued working for us through high school. He shared many meals at our table, enjoyed our family banter, and became one of the kids. I will never forget the time I sat him down at the kitchen table and tore into him for something he had done at school that I had found out about. He was trembling when I finished but I got my point across.

Brad was always "on call" when it came to farm work. When Steve was in the hospital for 11 days a number of years ago, it was Brad who came and helped Dan keep things going. During extended vacations, Brad was the reason we didn't worry much about what was going on. And if we got behind in field work, we could give him a call and he always showed up.

Over the years we have watched him become a very honest, hard working, dedicated individual, one we are very honored to know. He has done us proud. And yesterday he married a woman who appreciates him for who he is and what he does. We wish them the very best.

With tears in his eyes last night as we were ready to leave, he conveyed to us how much we have meant to him over the years in terms of stability, steerage and love. With tears in our eyes we expressed the same sentiments. Together, we have all done a worthwhile job and have made a difference in each other's lives. We love you Brad and Jamie!

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