In addition to birthdays, travel, and CHRISTMAS, the past month has been filled with some pretty spectacular markers for our family. In the span of three weeks, with Christmas smack dab in the middle, we celebrated an Auburn graduation, a Texas Hill Country wedding, and an Angel Fire engagement. I’m sharing a few stories to process. So this post is basically for me and the grandparents, consider yourself warmly invited.
– Basden’s Graduation December 11, 2025 –
During the first few weeks of her freshman year at Auburn, Basden ran into an older hometown friend in the library and sat down for a quick visit. The girls had just finished sorority recruitment and were now ChiO sisters, as well as biomedical science majors. After chatting for a few minutes, Basden’s friend left for class, and she opened her materials to study. But before she could get started, a student wandered over and asked for help with a biology question.
Basden spent a few minutes working through the science problem, and about the time they finished, another student appeared.
“Well, this is kind of fun,” Basden thought, “at least I look like I know what I’m doing.”
Basden continued the accidental tutoring over the next half hour. About the time one student left, another would appear. Finally, Basden gathered all of her things to head to class. Several steps out, she turned to grab her forgotten AirPods. And then she saw it. Taped to the end of the table was a sign that read, “Biology Tutoring here.”
Her older friend had been working service hours for the bio department when Basden first appeared.
Even accidentally, she was in the right place at the right time.
There was a time when I never would’ve dreamed Basden would be able to help peers with biology homework.
I was 28 weeks pregnant when Basden was diagnosed with Dandy Walker Syndrome. And then a few days after birth, CT scans displayed her perfectly formed brain. I felt so grateful at the time, but it took years for me to really digest the evidence of her functioning mind and body.
Right on time, Basden formed her first words and started talking. And actually, laughing more than talking. But that was a marker. And then she started walking, another marker.
She engaged socially. She giggled and danced and twirled. She ran fiercely after the soccer ball, and much to her grandmother’s dismay, also politely shared that ball with players from the opposing team. She learned back-hand springs and backflips and twists on gymnastics bars. Each of these markers.
Throughout middle school, Basden was invited to many birthday parties. She didn’t seem to have a specific friend group, but instead bounced between all the groups. In high school, she went to proms and dances. All of these markers. I had once wondered if she would ever be pursued by a friend, ever be asked on a date.
She loved to learn. She worked hard in school and paid attention. She took her work seriously, but somehow also with a light heart. She especially loved biology. She became endeared to her high school AP Biology teacher, who taught science through a biblical lens. This teacher highlighted the mystery and awesome nature of God’s creation, all the while limping along the classroom aisles, bravely suffering a debilitating disease.
She volunteered at Camp Barnabas during high school, physically serving and connecting with a young woman with severe special needs. While it was a meaningful experience, this was merely a tug for a later calling to come alongside those with special needs.
A well-timed high school mission trip to El Salvador solidified her dearest friendship. She wrestled with the decision to leave her beloved public school for a private Christian school as a high school junior. And by the time her senior year rolled around, Basden knew she belonged at Auburn.
In all of these experiences, even as she forged ahead with some fear and trembling, she was in the right place at the right time.
Basden’s Auburn journey began both wonder-filled and bumpy: Adjusting to campus life, pledging a sorority, deciding on sophomore roommates before freshman classes even started (!), and challenging classes. But what special years! College is one big bowl where the good and hard are all thoroughly mixed. The rollercoaster of friendships, academics, involvements, and social circles, with thousands of young adults on a college campus learning to live away from home, is simply intense. And maybe even more intense when we’re hearing about it from eleven hours away!
I was thrilled when Basden committed to serving as a Young Life leader. Although she was not placed on the team she wanted – Hudson’s YL team – also the team where her best friend was placed. Basden was assigned to Capernaum YL, a team that serves the area’s students with special needs. At the time, I didn’t realize the extent of her disappointment.
We didn’t know it yet, but Capernaum was a marker.
She was in the right place at the right time.
Auburn/ Opelika Capernaum was just getting off the ground, still in its first year, when Basden joined. Within a year of getting to know the students and their families, these Capernaum friends became the heartbeat of her life. Over the past few years, this ministry secured her happiest calling – to spend time with children and adults with intellectual and physical disabilities. Basden has invested as much time, creativity, and work into building a foundation for YL Capernaum as she has in immunology and organic chemistry classes.
Every couple of days, I receive FaceTime calls from Capernaum students. Basden’s friends grab her phone and FaceTime me, her grandmothers, her former boyfriends, and anyone else in Basden‘s contact list. When we spend time in Auburn, we are not socializing with ChiOs and their moms, but with a handful of young women who have autism or Down syndrome.
Besides Campernaum and classes, Basden worked a zillion hours in clinical settings, earning hours for applying to PA school. She often wondered if the work and competition were worth it. Is this really what she wanted to do?
Early on, she accepted a nanny position through a home health agency to care for a one-year-old with special needs. She was thrilled to land this dream job and created her class schedule around it. But her first day was her last day. Both the home health agency and the desperate parents failed to identify how critically ill the child was. Upon arriving at the home and seeing the baby’s labored breathing, Basden felt a nudge to review a YouTube infant CPR video. And within an hour, had to put that knowledge to the test. The parents arrived home and rushed their child to the hospital, where he spent weeks in the ICU.
While traumatic, this experience solidified Basden’s desire to learn the medical background that would give her the ability to care for patients with special needs.
Once again (ugh), she was at the right place at the right time.
Last month, our family whooped and hollered while Basden stood among the highest academically distinguished in her graduating class as a biomedical science major. And PA school – she did it! Next stop – Fort Worth’s UNT PA school starting in August. Seven miles down the road from home.
The right place at the right time – can I get an amen?!
As we were leaving Auburn that Saturday after graduation, Corbin and I hugged Basden goodbye in the entrance of a pizza restaurant. But in the midst of our good-byes, Basden broke away and ran to greet a teenage girl walking through the door. Head down, baseball hat low over her eyes, an employee badge dangling around her neck.
“Clara! I’m so happy to see you! You coming in for a shift?”
The girl glanced up at Basden, her mouth curving into half a smile, “Yeah, Basden,” and shuffled past.
Just the right place, at the right time.
Thank you, Heavenly Father, for placing Basden in just the right places at just the right times. Basden has always related to children with special needs. Even as a child, we could see her little mind working, considering another’s value, knowing that could have been her life story. She understood that every person with special needs was perfectly created in Christ’s image, and she just held a little bit of relatability, knowing that that could have been the life that You lovingly assigned her.
Thank you, Dell and Stella, for hosting all of us in your lovely home for graduation weekend!
And thank you, Essie Jamie, for amazing grad pics. Not just the finished product, but MAKING IT HAPPEN for your sister to take these!