Garrett Will Manage

For my nephew, Garrett Stevens, this birthday brings sad changes, because it is the first one since his mom, Alena Stevens passed away. Since Garrett and his wife, Kayla had their girls, Elliott and Maya, they have been blessed to have his mom be able to come from Casper to Sheridan to watch the girls when Kayla has to be out of town for work. Now, there is a definite void that will be a hard one to fill. Garrett’s Dad, Mike is still with them, but babysitting the girls really was Alena’s thing. This summer finds Kayla taking a few less out of town trips, because her family needs her to help with the emotional transitions of this hard time. Kayla’s career as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker has made her uniquely qualified to help her family through this time of grief, but it doesn’t help to fill the void when she has to go out of town. Still, I know that Garrett will manage when the time comes, and the girls are getting older too, so they can help to do more.

Garrett went through some special training that culminated in a very hard test and his promotion to certified welding inspector recently, and the whole family is so proud of him. Many people have tried to pass that test, but few do so. Garrett worked very hard, and even then, it was no easy task. His boss was so proud of him too. I don’t really know what all his job entails, but I do know that when a weld fails, it is never a good thing, and it can spell disaster, depending on what things were welded. I can’t say what types of welds are processed at Garrett’s work, but I know that a bad weld has been known to bring down an airplane, so it must be strong, and it must be right.

Garrett tells me that Kayla is the family activity planner, and she has a full summer planned for the family. That is a good thing, because as we all know, when it comes to grief and loss, staying busy is a key part of the healing process. Their daughter, Elliott is a very busy girl too, with cheerleading camp, nature camp, parade camp, and many others. Elliott is almost seven years old, so she understands death to a degree. Keeping her busy is as essential as it is for adults. Maya is just three, and I’m sure that the big job with her will be in telling her about her grandmother, so she will somehow know her. Nevertheless, Garrett and Kayla are great parents, and they will manage. Of that I have no doubt. Today is Garrett’s birthday. Happy birthday Garrett!! Have a great day!! We love you!!