SIXTEEN
By Brielle Saarloos

A liquid love letter from my Daughter to her Best Friend. -We just released, what I believe, is the most special wine We have ever had to honor to produce.

If there is one wine that encapsulates who we are: this is it.

My Father and My Daughter had a Very Special Relationship.  Truth is my Father wanted to have a daughter. But after they had Kirk and they decided to call it quits. I don’t blame them, we were savage feral little boys.

So my father developed a soft spot in an otherwise tough exterior.

Then Brielle was born, and he finally had his little girl. I honestly didn’t recognize the man he became, he was gentle, loving, and caring. This wasn’t the man that raised me… but then again, savage, feral little boys don’t exactly foster that. Lol.

He showed her off every chance he got and would talk about her until you walked away.

If her saw her walking in town, his work day was over, and he would swoop her up and anyone that was with her and go on an adventure.

She would go to coffee with us every day for 8 years, sit right at the table, and he would talk with her like she was 25. Her opinion mattered to him, and in turn, she has become one of the strongest young women I have ever met.

She seemed to hold a set of keys I wasn’t aware of. She could casually walk past any wall my father had set up, right into the best part of who he was as a person, and set up shop.

I loved watching it.

My daughter has grown up around a lot of, “seemingly intimidating” people…

But because of that relationship with my Father, she just doesn’t see what makes any of them so “seemingly intimidating”.

She doesn’t see grizzly bears, she sees teddy bears.

She sees souls, not the package.

She is a strong, beautiful, self-confident, capable young woman.

Why?

Because my father told her so every chance he got.

That’s quite a gift to give anyone.

I am grateful he gave it to her.

She rode on the King’s Shoulders

…

In her own words:

❤️

family is the most important thing.

i didn’t just lose my grandpa, I lost my best friend. i miss you so much. i wanna tell you so many things and i want your wisdom. before you were gone i wrote you a lot of letters about how i felt, thinking someday i would read them to you. i can’t now, but i shared them with the family and i hope somehow you knew that i meant every word in them. i still honor you in every step that i take. i love you so so much. you are the happiest you’ve ever been right now with our Lord and we just feel like we are missing out on the biggest party ever. Don’t worry, i’ll keep Cashy and the cousins in check. I will take care of Grandma and make sure Dad and Mom are doing ok. i’ll call people when they’ve had a bad day or something happened just to check in on them because i knew you would’ve. you taught me so much and i will take your wisdom with me everywhere i go. you were always so proud of me and i promise i will only make you prouder. you are still my best friend and going to be that way forever. you read me verses on walking through the valley of death and that God and Jesus remind us that there is no need to be afraid. so i will not be afraid. i love you grandpa, i got to see the best parts of you and that’s why this goodbye is the hardest one that i will ever have. love you.

Brielle