Category: Bryan’s Blog

Personal thoughts from Bryan.

Davin’s Minecraft Birthday

I’m beginning to realize why the youngest child gets treated differently. In many ways that child is the parents’ last link to the world of the young married couple As that child grows older we become more aware of our own age, and how quickly time inexorably flows forward. I sat down with Davin a few weeks ago to help him pick out the gifts he wanted for his 11th birthday. Two things struck me about that experience. First, he is obsessed with Minecraft. It seemed like every gift he chose was related to Minecraft in some way. Second, he is still a kid. He picked out toys. They were the types of things that I knew he would delight in when opened, but then forget about a month later. I nostalgically recalled the joy of giving those types of presents to the kids at Christmas and birthdays, and I realized that we didn’t have many opportunities like this left. Our kids are growing up, and toys will soon be replaced by gift cards. Then and there I decided to make Davin’s 11th birthday a special one. Thus, the Minecraft Birthday was born. Continue reading Davin’s Minecraft Birthday

Stay Calm, It’s Just a Job

It is important to do a good job. I take my job seriously. I want the respect of my coworkers, and it is important that they can rely on me to complete my tasks. Like many, I often encounter frustrating situations that are outside of my control. We’ve seen a lot of those at work recently and someone complimented me on my poise and calm in the face of yet another scene straight out of Dilbert. I realized that part of my poise can be attributed to my personality, which I don’t take credit for. The other part of it I do take credit for, my perspective. Continue reading Stay Calm, It’s Just a Job

2010: The Year of Change

It seems to me that we need things in our lives that push us and twist us out of our comfort zones. Oftentimes this makes us uncomfortable, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I was nervous beyond all reason when I gave Lianne carnations back in high school. Lianne and I were shocked and excited when we found out we were pregnant with Jaron. I used to get sick to my stomach every evening before my band performed a show. Those stretching moments represent some of the best opportunities for all of us to experience life and to launch ourselves and those around us into greater things. 2010 was filled with those kinds of moments for our family and we’re looking forward to seeing where they take us. Continue reading 2010: The Year of Change

Holding On to the Sticker

I kept one of the stickers. I probably got a dozen of them altogether, but I eventually threw them all away. The ones from Sentara Princess Anne Hospital had my picture on them. I smiled because I always smile. I think I wore the same ODU t-shirt for over a week straight. Those stickers are gone. The visitor sticker I got from Portsmouth Naval Hospital on April 22nd, 2013, however, is still affixed to my dresser. I see it every day. It is painful if I stop and think about it. Maybe I should get rid of it. Not yet. It’s a piece of Dad. It’s a reminder that he was real. It wasn’t so long ago that I was talking to him. See? I still have this sticker to prove it.

Continue reading Holding On to the Sticker

Dad’s Memorial Service

Rob Stevenson was greatly admired and loved. There are many around the country however, and in far corners of the world, who could not attend Dad’s memorial service. So, this is a recap of the viewing, graveside service, and memorial service. I’m writing it up from memory, and I’ve included some videos and pictures as well. It is for those folks who couldn’t make it, for others who just want to remember, and for me.

It was two days after Dad passed away. The four boys and Mom sat down around the conference table with Pastor John to plan the memorial service. He started on a somber tone. It wasn’t long before one of us cracked a joke. I don’t remember the specifics, but it was surely inappropriate on some level given the setting. We all laughed. I peeked at Mom. She was smiling. I figured we’d be OK. Continue reading Dad’s Memorial Service

Checking the Bees

We were standing on opposite sides of the beehive. He would start at one end, and I would start at the other. We searched for the queen. We looked for any signs of sickness in the colony. We made sure the queen was laying eggs, and that there weren’t a bunch of swarm cells. Some moments are etched into my mind. The bushes beside me brush up against my bee suit. The sound of cars thundering by on the main road behind our house. The sight of Dad looking intently at each frame of bees. I looked over at him through my bee veil as he lifted one of the frames. I noticed his slightly protruding stomach and a little knot of worry formed right in the middle of my gut. I debated with myself. Should I broach the subject? I finally stuck a toe into the murky water. “So, how are you feeling?” Continue reading Checking the Bees

The Death of Boredom

At work the other day I was struggling with a difficult programming problem. I worked on it for a couple of hours straight and then got up to use the restroom and grab some water. I don’t have a cell phone, so my 120 second break was the perfect opportunity for my brain to disengage and wander. On the way back to my desk the solution to the problem I was facing suddenly clicked. I wasn’t thinking about it, or concentrating on it, but my brain was still working in the background. The brief respite was all my mind needed in order to get a different perspective, and a creative solution. That programming epiphany was quickly followed by another … we don’t give ourselves enough time to meditate and simply do nothing. Our bodies and minds are over stimulated and starved for relaxation and meditation. We’re never bored, and we’re losing our creativity, our critical thinking, and our inspiration, as a result.

Continue reading The Death of Boredom

Love, In Person

My grandfather was determined to stand up for my parents’ wedding. You can see him in the photographs, standing there, leaning heavily on his cane. A few days later he was confined to a wheelchair and would never walk again. Multiple sclerosis took his ability to walk, but it never took his joy in living life. His grit, determination, and optimism was amazing, but I’ll save that story for another time. This tale is about his wife Joanna, my grandmother, and how she taught me one of the most important lessons that one person can teach another. Continue reading Love, In Person