2:09 p.m. Today's project is to celebrate the birth of my oldest son, Sean Adrian Kruckenberg, 34 years ago yesterday, in Delta, Colorado, at that county's only hospital. His birth date is the answer to a riddle I have used to torment friends, family and colleagues for years. One fellow teacher became so frustated that she couldn't figure it out back at Grace Christian that staff relations were strained, and accusations of fraud and deceit were whispered about the teachers' lounge! (answer to follow at end of post).
Sean was born Sean Adrian Robinson, during my first marriage in the Colorado hippie days of the 70's, before I knew Jesus Christ as my Savior. As is the case with so many ill-thought-out, substance-tainted marriages, I was a divorced single mother shortly after our return to California in 1976, where we lived with my dad while I finished my bachelor's degree and got back on my feet in the professional world. At one point, I had 3 jobs to support us: tutoring a wealthy Ecuadorian exchange student (my Spanish minor emphasis came in handy here); working at my mom's circle K store; and selling home alarm systems, in addition to a full courseload! There I was, at 26, one of the oldest undergrads at the University of Redlands, taking trampoline class for my PE requirement, loving every minute! (UCLA, where I'd attended from 1969-1972, hadn't had a PE requirement).
3 year-old Sean had to stay at a home daycare near the campus, but my hours were short, and my part-time jobs flexible. I'd pick him up afternoons, we'd have a snack and head to Sylvan Park, where we'd share a swing and fly up to the tops of the ancient trees, both of us completely unafraid, for a good hour. Then it was home for dinner and Sean would spend time with his Grandpa. Off I'd go again in the evening if I had a sales appointment. Young people can stay continually on the run without getting tired--I can attest to that! Even as a senior citizen today I run a pretty packed schedule! I guess my mother's favorite saying, "idle hands are the devil's workshop" is the one I definitely took to heart.
After I graduated, I accepted an offer with Connecticut General Life Insurance, and took to the business handily, especially the flexible hours of the corporate-level life insurance sales world. Through a business client, I met a friend whose cousins led Sean and me to the Lord one Sunday at Crenshaw Christian Center. Don't give up on your unsaved friends and family! Look at the convoluted route I took to get saved...I just wish that I had "remembered my Creator in the days of my youth," as Ecclesiastes 12:1 puts it, but no sense in crying over wasted time from the past--Christians are to live for Him today! "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." (2 Corinthians 6:2)
Sean came to know the Lord at the age of four, and happily became attached to the man God had for me, and to whom I am still married, Steve. Steve adopted Sean in 1984, when I was expecting our second child together, Heidi. Oh, the fun hours Steve and Sean spent together in the garage taking apart and fixing things and working on cars, while I tended to the little ones who were arriving about every other year. We also led a Cub Scout den at Harvest for Sean's benefit, and stayed involved with younger brother Kriss. We still display their Pinewood Derby cars in our trophy case.
Growing up pretty quickly, and not very interested in school, Sean would read huge historical tomes on military battles, but neglect his homework. He was more than ready for adventure after graduating North High School in 1993, so he enlisted in the Marine Reserves, seeing combat duty in the drug wars in South America. He married Kippy in 1995, and they blessed us with two boys. Sean has also got veterans' status with the Coast Guard, which sent him to language school in Costa Rica and appointed him a boarding officer, capturing boatloads of human traffickers from China.
Sean has a sharp business mind, and had his own security guard service in San Diego, following in his grandpa's footsteps from military to business ownership to armed security services.
Right now, he is in the same situation as so many of our young people, pounding the pavement and applying online for jobs. He's well on his way to a business degree to go with his auto mechanic certifications. Thank the Lord for the GI Bill! It's the least this nation owes our vets.
Tonight's birthday dinner will be fried catfish, which he loves and fixes superbly himself; Heidi's cheesy potatoes, and a vegetable, followed by a just-baked coffeecake. How we will enjoy catching up, since Thanksgiving was a pretty noisy, crowded affair at our house! I just need to find the breading mix, or I'll have to make my own...Riddle answer? Sean was born at 12:16 a.m. on November 30th Mountain Time in Colorado, but 11:16 p.m. November 29th in California, Pacific Standard Time! His California grandma steadfastly insisted that November 29th was his "real" birthdayeach year!
Now that riddle wasn't so hard, was it?
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