Sometimes life surprises us in the most unexpected ways, weaving moments of joy, connection, and a sense of divine timing into our lives. This past weekend, I experienced such a moment at Chick-fil-A Sienna Crossing, a place that has been a constant on my grief journey.
As many of you know, for the past three and a half years, I’ve maintained a ritual of visiting Chick-fil-A every Saturday morning to honor my late son, Ethan, by ordering two breakfast biscuits—one for him and one for me. It’s a tradition that’s brought me comfort and kept me connected to the memories of our shared Saturday mornings.
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This past weekend, Tony Levine, the restaurant operator, invited my wife, Angie, and I to take a sneak peek at the newly renovated restaurant before its official reopening. They had been closed for three weeks and the transformation was astounding—bright, airy, and welcoming, with the addition of a second drive-thru lane that promises to be a game changer for our community.
As we sat down at table #13, the team adorned the table with fresh flowers and prepared chicken biscuits for us, placing them on the very table where my journey of remembrance began.
Here’s where the story takes an incredible turn. During breakfast, Luke, one of the team leads, mentioned the community table was brand new. Many Chick-fil-A restaurants have handcrafted tables from A Better Way Ministries. Each table carries a unique story, complete with the signature and date of the person who built it mounted on the underside. Angie, ever the curious one, looked under the table to read the story. And there, we discovered that this table was completed and signed on March 25, 2024—the very date of our visit to the Chick-fil-A Support Center in Atlanta, which was also the three-year anniversary of Ethan’s passing.
The date on the table sent chills down our spines. What are the chances that this table, built on the anniversary of our beloved son’s passing, while we were in Atlanta at the Support Center would find its way to the very restaurant where I began my Saturday morning Breakfast Ritual? Was this a coincidence or divine intervention? It felt like a sign that Ethan’s presence continues to guide and comfort us in ways we can’t always comprehend.
This handmade table now sits next to table #13 at Chick-fil-A Sienna Crossing. If this was some plan orchestrated by the team at the Support Center in Atlanta, then they are truly incredible for thinking of this. If this happened by chance, then there’s no doubt in my mind that a higher power is at work. I am going to go with the latter.
This weekend reaffirmed the love and support the Chick-fil-A community has shown me and my family during our journey of grief and healing. The unexpected connection between our story and this new community table is something I will treasure forever. It’s a reminder that love and resilience continue to unfold, even in the most unexpected ways.
My hope is that one day, I will get to meet Derek McCreery and have him join us for some breakfast biscuits on a Saturday morning sitting around the tables.
Thank you, Tony and everyone at Chick-fil-A Sienna Crossing, for being a part of this incredible journey. And to the entire Chick-fil-A community, your kindness continues to lift us in ways you may never know.
-Brian
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