Someone in our family might say Joe Egan and Gerry Rafferty had it right all along. Founders of the 1970’s Scottish rock band Stealers Wheel, the du0 are best known for these iconic lyrics:

“Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right,
Here I am, stuck in the middle with you”

We’ll leave the semantics of defining clowns and jokers to the linguistic experts, but suffice it to say, if you’re the middle child in a family the definition just might be spot on.

In our family, that middle child is Brenin. That’s him on the right in the picture at his sister’s wedding. With two brothers above him and two sisters below him, he might think clowns and jokers are just about right!

Brenin turned 25 on Friday.

A quarter century is a notable achievement. It marks the successful survival of the torrential transitional years from teenager to adulthood.

Brenin is now finally old enough to rent a car on his own. Perhaps a road trip is in order. I hear it’s worth the time to visit 404 Louis L’Amour Lane in Jamestown, ND, home of the World’s Largest Buffalo!

I’m guessing there are times Brenin has felt like he’s been stuck in the middle. Bet that the case, let me tell you what he’s done with his role in life.

Brenin is a connector.

He loves people old and young. His soft inviting smile welcomes you into his life. He’s a good listener, which helps make him a good friend. And though he may not truly realize it, he is quietly changing the world simply being who he is.

Now, there’s still times he more of the clown or joker. He can pull off, as you can see, a pretty good Waldo. He has a contagious laugh and a gleam in his eye that makes you just want to be happy.

Brenin connects me to the things that are best in life.

He is an incredible son.

Happy Birthday, Brenin. Thanks for letting me be your dad. I love you.

Have a great Monday! Thanks for letting me share.

Les Patterson

p.s. Take 13 minutes today to reach out to a connector in your life.

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