Looking forward, reflecting back. It's been 12 years.

December 2, 2011.  12 years ago.  We stopped publicly sharing our story when Brian turned 18.  It’s his story now.  He can choose when and if to share it publicly. 

The time I personally reflect on this is always the first Friday in December.  That was yesterday.

Previously the first December Friday has always been spent in silent reflection at home.  I’ve gone to work physically, but not sure my productivity.  For the last ten years, my supervisor hosted a holiday drop in event at his home on the evening of the 1^st Friday of December.  I excused myself from attending for seven years. I could not justify going out that night.  My sister also hosts a holiday thing that same day.  Again, I excused myself from that for many years as well. 

Let me reflect on my first Friday of December 2023.  First:  Work:  My job is unpredictable.  Yesterday I wound up working with my wonderful team in solving issues caused by three separate issues.  They were in order: internet outages, sink clogging, and a power outage.  This was while we were hosting hundreds of potential students in a large recruiting event and other student and department meetings.  I take pride in handling the unexpected.  Yesterday was full of unexpected events at work.

Now for Friday night.  Brian actually came with me to my bosses party this year.  He actually now knows most of my current colleagues.  He has been a great representative of the GSU IDEAL program in so many ways.  He has introduced the program to so many colleagues that knew very little about it.  In fact, one of the university attorneys was at the party.  Brian went up to him and his fiancé and talked to them for a while.  When I latter chatted with the attorney he had said that he had handled some contracts and legal things for IDEAL, but had never met a student from the program.  That is what Brian is doing, putting a face with a name for the program.  Brian spent the night telling my work colleagues that he was celebrating successfully finishing his first semester in college.  (Which he should be proud of).  

We felt so much great support those first few months.  I feel that had if we lived in Statesboro in 2011and beyond that Brian and our family would have gotten the continued community love and support that Georgia Kate is getting right now.  Our Bulloch County and Savannah support was so touching.  The way the community showed up than and is showing up now for GK is wonderful.  Kudos!!!  It is a great community and the support that you give at times in crisis shows how great you are.   

Most of the people I worked with in 2011 have retired or moved on to greener pastures. Only a handful from December 2011 are still around.  A couple of colleagues came from a long way to attend the Evansdale field vigil for Brian on a stormy night in December 2011.    It meant the world to me that folks from work came to that vigil. 

Well, last night, Brian and one of colleagues that attended the vigil had a hug at my boss’s party.  Brian has hung out in her office often this fall.  He also shared that he passed all his classes this fall to her. The colleagues has seen the prayers and community support come full circle from the rainy Evansdale field.  She is also moving to a new position and leaving GSU next month. 

So- almost everyone Brian interacts with now knows the new Brian.  Very few knew him or me from way back when.  He is making a name for himself based on his current personality and skills.  He is literally known around GSU from students to administrators to the President as Brian/ Bmoney.  In fact, Brian had Dr. Bridget Blake, the GSU first lady, call me on my cell phone one afternoon.  That was a very random out of the blue call. Brian thinks that he get’s special treatment at GSU if he tells people that I am his dad. The truth is, he does not.  He is making a difference based on his own interpersonal skills. 

Brian and I went to my sisters event as well last night. Many of the people that were at her party gathered on December 2, 2011 at the same party.  Brian also bragged about finishing his first semester. 

So today, my reflection is on the present and the future with gratitude to the past.  Life is not perfect.  However, the future is still very bright.