Thank you, Reagan

When Brooke and I moved into our first house as a married couple in December of 2003, my mother gave me a bird feeder.  It was a pretty basic feeder, but I loved it.  I always enjoyed watching the birds come and eat from it, I enjoyed watching the squirrels trying to get at, and the many other  various animals who came to the buffet.

When Brooke, Reagan, and I moved to Lexington, the feeder came with us.  It wasn't new when I got it, and it was constantly getting beat up. Bad storms, fat animals, high winds, all would knock it to the ground and break it even more.  When time game for all us to move to Chicago, the feeder came with again.  Winters and wind are hard here in Chicago, and after a few weather induced falls the feeder was destroyed.  I was actually a little disappointed when I had to toss it a last fall.

The last weekend I was home (at the end of March) Reagan and I were outside bumming around, and I mentioned that when I returned I wanted to go with her to pick out a new feeder.  She didn't really say much when I said that, in fact I wasn't sure she heard me. In between my hectic travel schedule, I was recently home for about 15 hours.  Before she left for school, Reagan said she had a surprise for me.  She got this long box and gave it to me.  The smile on her face was ear to ear, it looked very much like the one on the top of this page.  She was very proud of herself about something.  I opened the box and inside was this new bird feeder.  She told me that she helped Mom (Brooke) pick it out.  I thought it was a nice gesture, and I do love the new feeder. I will hang it up when I get home on Sunday. I come to find out from Brooke, that there is more to the story.  Reagan actually paid for the feeder with her own money.  She went to Brooke and asked her mother to help her buy me a new bird feeder.  She works hard around the house to get money. She doesn't get it for just consuming oxygen. She saves and saves every penny she ever makes.  Most of the money she gets goes directly to her bank account, but she does keep some in her piggy bank. This is the money she wanted to use it to buy her Daddy something.  Brooke and I are fairly sure that this is the first gift I have ever gotten from the girls that was purchased with their own money.  It really warmed my heart when Brooke connected those dots of me, it made me feel really good. Thank you, Reagan-I love it.  I just wished I had realized all this when you gave it to me.

My first bird feeder came from my mother.  It traveled to multiple cities and weathered many storms. At some point it just gave out.  Maybe it was fate that kept me from picking one up on my own, maybe just luck.  Regardless, having Reagan give me (with her own money) one is pretty darn cool.  I'll never forget the smile on her face when she gave it to me.  I think her Mamaw would be proud to pass this torch to Reagan.