Brett Illig
In search of the good, the true, and the beautiful. Here are some moments along the way.
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A Fire of Hope
The light slowly and quietly breaks the dark condition of the horizon. The first glimpse of the sun gives energy to all those who see it, feel it. The canvas of colors instantly invites us into a renewal that we all know so well. For it is offered to us daily. A renewal of life. A revival of our hearts. A restoration of our souls. Peace. That being said, beyond the peace that we feel, there is a burning desire that smolders from within. A desire for starting anew. A desire to escape the past. A desire to take a step forward. A desire to breathe and be fully alive…
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A Plea for Truth
As our National Independence Day has come and gone, the state of our country continues to experience turbulent times. Problems that have been thrown onto us (Corona-19) and problems we have thrown onto ourselves (racism and it’s after-effects). It is also an election year that can bring the noise to a deafening pitch. Through 24/7 news headlines and the blurbs and opinions from our social media feeds from all sides claiming to speak the truth, it can be hard to decipher what is true or not. This reflection is not a political plea or to give another opinion to the millions already out there, rather, this is more of a…
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Gift of Silence
Due to Covid-19, the world community has paused. Humanity has been forced to stop, allowing for a type of collective vulnerability that rarely, if not ever, has happened before. Through this joined experience, we have been forced to look at ourselves both individually and culturally in ways we might never have been able to do so during our times of “normalcy”. The first observation is one of sadness. Sadness for those who have died, usually alone, and for the families who have had to watch a loved one die from afar. Sadness for the millions who have lost their jobs and with that, their dignity, and now struggle to find…
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The Greatest Illusion
For the last few nights at the dinner table, we have been reading excerpts from the book The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy. I can’t recommend this book enough, whether you are 12, 22, 42, or 92 years old. This was the dialogue from the book that struck me the most last evening…a dialogue that took place as all four characters (boy, mole, fox, and horse) were standing lakeside watching the beautiful and peaceful swans pass by. “How do they look so together and perfect?” Asked the boy. “There’s a lot of frantic paddling going on beneath,” said the horse. “The greatest illusion,” said the mole,…
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A Stomping Joy
Watching my middle school-year-old boy wrestle with his desire for independence while at the same time finding comfort in boundaries is entertaining, to say the least. The meltdown over cleaning up a granola bar wrapper combined with the contentment of knowing what is expected of him is a fascinating thing to watch. I mean really, is it that upsetting to you that you are expected to throw the empty box of Pop-Tarts into the recycling bin instead of putting it back in the pantry? Which by the way, is right below you? Being his father, I have found the answer to those questions to be a resounding “YES!” Of course,…
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Listening to Time
Tick. Tick. Tick. If we are just quiet enough, the constant tick of a second hand can penetrate the subconscious. Even seep into the depths of our souls. It is the sound of a deeper truth that we both yearn for and fear. I remember hearing a story in Switzerland, the land of “time”, about a young gentleman coming into a store to look for a watch. Upon inspecting a certain watch for about 5 minutes or so, he looked up at the owner and asked: “What can it do?” The store owner simply replied, “It tells the time”. “That’s it?” asked the young gentleman, and walked out. Time is…
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A Beautiful Closure
There was a moment. Dawn. The birth of a new day. It was the 8th day of our visit back to Switzerland and the first rays of sunlight illuminated the mountain peaks of Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau, or the “big three” as we like to call them. I arose early and walked outside at 6:15 AM to catch a glimpse of the sights and sounds that I missed both in my dreams and in my conscious thoughts since we moved back to the States. As I began to walk the narrow paths and streets of Mürren, Switzerland I rediscovered that deep sense of awe that had struck me so many…
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Perfectly Average
Without a doubt being a parent is one of the most rewarding and difficult vocations that there is. I think every parent knows this. This certainly isn’t anything new. It truly is self-giving. This is probably why it is so rewarding because it truly isn’t about you at the end of the day. As parents, we certainly get our daily reminders of that. (The once-a-month slight nods of appreciation from our kids before right back to not being able to put your dirty dishes in the dishwasher, WHAT IS THAT!!) I recently had a conversation with some parents about the idea of our kids being average. I remember the look…
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Baseball, Friendship, and Bathroom Prophecy
It has been great to reconnect with some friends since returning stateside. Due to the time difference and schedules while living in Switzerland it was hard to touch base even if the desire was there. That said, it’s amazing how easily you can pick back up right where you left off with your close friends. This made me think, what makes a connection like this possible? One good friend of mine is someone that I met while playing professional baseball. We were both 18 years old and fresh out of high school. We immediately connected with the same love of music but honestly, besides that, there wasn’t much of a…
