Happy Birthday! - Team Brazell

Happy 30th! When reflecting on our time together, what stands out the most are your winning ways in spite of the odds. You're the comeback kid.

The first time I witnessed this was as your teammate in a high stakes bocce game. A photo exists that tells the story well, but I couldn't find it. The opposition, TJ and Buck, came out gang busters and built a huge lead. TJ boasted to the entire lake that we would soon meet our demise and it was at that point our comeback was mounted. After several well positioned rolls and 1 near trip to the hospital for an innocent bystander, we were victorious. You were a relentless teammate and that hard fought victory is ours to cherish forever.

The second time I witnessed this, you were on the opposite team. The stakes were once again very high, Justin and I were up against you and Buck. Similarly we built a huge lead on you, seemingly impossible to overcome, but you fought all the way back to the rubber match. Then displayed your dominance by skunking us to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Justin's reaction to the devastating defeat was lasting.

You never give up, even when it takes a decade at Tech to complete a PhD, even when that stack of blocks in the picture your mom posted below was too tall for you to reach, even when the power went out at the lake and we had to cook pizzas using a flashlight app on a smartphone on the grill, even when your front tooth was missing, even when your rib was broken during tube wars at high speeds behind the boat, even when you dropped a knife on your foot and had stitches but still ran the marathon, even when the copper plumbing and appliances and a/c and water heater and power were stolen, even when programming the kinetics and extent of particle redispersion using DNA triggers.

What I'm saying is, when the chips are down, I want you on my team. Happy Birthday from the Brazell's.