The Lobsterman Who Stole My Heart

Every so often you meet someone that you fall in love with.  Not romantic love, in this case, but someone who inspires me, tickles my funny bone and whose stories fill me with a deep admiration that put me at risk of hero worship.  I met someone like that this week.  His name is Danner and he is a Maine lobsterman.

Danner is a man who has walked through some trials and tribulations and yet is filled with love, humor and a desire to live his life with gusto. He is not shy to tell the story of the loss of his son and how he has fought his way back to a life lived in joy.  He seeks out opportunities to brighten someone's day.  He is a man who smiles widely, loves his family freely, spends his time productively and manages to be an excellent role model on top of all of that.

Today he and his delightful wife Dewey treated me to one of the best days of my life.  I had never been on a lobster boat before and I had certainly never been "fishing" for lobsters before.  It was an amazing day. I love the ocean.  I loved being out on the ocean and he provided me with an education to boot. I held a three pound lobster, a sea urchin, several starfish, and admired a couple different kinds of crabs.

We hauled 45 traps today.  His wife was the sternman, he did the hauling and banding while me, Mom and my sister Tracey did the cheering.  It was fun.  We went late, for my benefit, at 8 am and it rained a bit and was cold but we were cozy behind the glass in the captain's area.  We snacked on blueberry muffins that he cooked up for us fresh this morning made with blueberries from their fields.

Danner told me a lot of stories.  He told me funny ones, sad ones, innovative ones and stories about remodeling.  My favorite story though, was the one that won him first place on my pay it forward honor roll.  You see, every year he makes a special item.  All year every year he watches and waits for God to present him with that special person that will be the recipient of that special gift.  One year, he put his time and attention into a handmade bookcase of fine cherry wood.  Finally, he was inspired to give it to a woman who had blessed him earlier that year.  His eyes sparkle as he tells me that this beautiful bookcase was the only Christmas present that she received that year.  After that, he was hooked.  He puts time and attention into an item that he handcrafts and then he looks for who will receive it.

I loved his unique way that he pays it forward.  I admire how he and his wife have faced hardship and how they choose to craft their life today.  They are an amazing couple.  I hope that this post inspires you to have some fun, to try something new and to be thinking of little ways you can choose to brighten your own day.  I hope that in the brightening of your day you will also figure out ways to add cheer to those in your life known and unknown.

I want to thank you Danner and Dewey for a wonderful time.  I needed a little adventure.  It is easy to see from the pictures that I had a lot of fun.  I appreciate the generous way in which you treated me.  For the rest of you out there that are reading this blog if you see Danner or Dewey give them a big bear hug for me.