Living a Dream

Meet Breeanna Brown. For the record I have never met Breeanna but I feel like I have. Her mom and I are friends and work for the same company. I ran into Virginia in Houston this week and as usual we struck up a conversation. And as usual the conversation quickly turned to family. As she spoke of her family I quickly saw what I thought was a tear in her eye. I found out that her tear is one that all of us who have ever raised kids have experienced in some degree. It is a tear of pride and a tear of sadness all rolled into one.

Breeanna left for college last month. And mom and dad are extremely happy for her. Their purpose since she was born was to get her to the point that she could spread her wings and fly. They just didn’t know the wings they gave her would cause her to fly so far… and so high.


Breeanna’s 18 year old wings have taken her over 1300 miles from a suburb of Houston to Flagstaff Arizona to the campus of Northern Arizona University. From what I have read, I think Breeanna is on a full ride. That is NAU picks up the tab for her college expenses to play basketball for them.

Just so it is recorded here, Breeanna graduated from George Bush High School near Houston this past Spring where she was Most Valuable Player and team captain. For you basketball buffs, she averaged 15 points, 7 rebounds, 4 steals and 4 assists per game. One can understand why schools like NAU would be interested in her services.

And I am also certain that those special character qualities of Breeanna’s parents rubbed off on her as well. So that would be another reason the NAU’s of the world would be interested in her services.

Breeanna's favorite quote is "God gave me a gift. I chose to use it."

So the tear was of sadness because their 18 year old little girl is no longer in her room at night. But much pride because she has earned the right to live her dream.

Such is life. Happiness mixed with pain. Joy mixed with sadness. Pride mixed with thankfulness.

I will now purpose to follow Breeanna’s career and at the same time keep an eye out for her 14 year old little sister, Alissa, who seems to be following in her big sister’s footsteps to earn the right to live out her dream.

And in the process, Harold and Virginia Brown get to live their dream.

And it’s all good.