Brenda – Our Chosen Family
Some people are born into your family, some marry in, and some become family because they simply never left. Brenda is my sister, and also the person we chose and kept – co-mother, aunt, friend, grandmother, and a steady presence woven into our family story.
Her Story with Our Family
Brenda doesn’t just “drop in” on our life – she shows up, pitches in, and quietly becomes the person everyone can count on. She steps in as another mom when needed, spoils the kids like an aunt, shows up as a friend, and loves the grandkids like a bonus grandmother.
If something needs to be done, Brenda is one of the first people we think of. If someone needs a straight answer, she’s the one who gives it. And if an animal needs a home, a ride, or a human advocate, she’s almost always in the middle of it, making sure they’re okay.
Highlights
- Retired with her husband to Port Aransas, Texas – exactly where her heart belongs: at the beach.
- Helped found Salty Paws of Port Aransas, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting local animals.
- Spends countless hours planning fundraisers, volunteering at events, and putting animals first.
- Loves animals (especially cats) more than people – and we respect that entirely.
- Fun-loving, straightforward, no-nonsense, and always willing to help when it matters.
- Considered by our family as co-mother, honorary aunt, extra grandmother, and true friend.
Why She’s One of Ours
Brenda isn’t just “like” family – she is my sister and part of the core of this crew. She shares holidays, memories, jokes, worries, and wins. She has shown up for our family in big and small ways, over and over again, and somewhere along the way it stopped being about labels and just became “this is who we are.”
Around here, Brenda is:
- The one who tells you the truth, even when it’s not sugar-coated.
- The one who remembers the animals in every story.
- The one who brings the beach into our lives, even when we’re far away.
- The one we’re grateful to call ours.
This page is our way of saying: you matter to us, you’re part of this family, and your place in our story is permanent.
Salty Paws & Beach Life
Port Aransas is more than just a pretty shoreline for Brenda – it’s home base. It’s where the beach, the animals, and the community all meet. As one of the founders of Salty Paws of Port Aransas, she’s helped create a nonprofit that reflects exactly who she is: practical, compassionate, and focused on making life better for the animals that don’t have a voice.
Fundraisers, adoption events, behind-the-scenes work – Brenda is there for all of it. She’s as comfortable in beach sandals working a booth or hauling supplies as she is sitting quietly with a cat that just needs a calm human nearby.
If you picture paw prints in the sand leading toward the water, that’s Brenda: a beach person and an animal person through and through.
A Note for Your Birthday
This page, like your birthday card, was created with you in mind – beach, cats, Salty Paws, and all. It’s here so that when you want to, you can see yourself the way we see you: my sister, steady, strong, a little salty, and very loved, even if we don’t say it in a “warm and fuzzy” way.