For Three Decades, He’s Marked Every Neighborhood Birth With a Hand-Carved Gift

A new baby is quite the blessing and a reason to celebrate. One man, Cees Brinkman, “the unofficial mayor of East Nashville,” as some call him, has found a way to do so in his East Nashville neighborhood. For the last 30 years, he has placed something special in a friend or neighbor’s yard, after they have had a baby.

Cees grew up in the Netherlands and moved to Nashville in 1990. Family on both sides ran restaurants, so in 2011, he opened the Pharmacy, a European-inspired restaurant. Something his family also always installed in him was to love your neighbors.

Cees Brinkman Brought This Tradition To His Neighborhood

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"In the Netherlands, we make sure if a baby is born, we put a big stork in the yard that everybody in the neighborhood knows that a baby is born there," he said.

Cees has brought this tradition to Nashville! He places a hand carved wooden stork in the yards of friends and neighbors when they have a new baby. Each stork includes a line of new baby clothes as well.

"I knew about the stork generally! I had no idea about the stork in our lawn. This was a nice surprise to come home to," neighbor, Larry Moscowitz shares with News Channel 5. He just welcomed a baby girl, Evelyn. The house next door also welcomed a new baby, a boy, named Walker.

He Started the Storks 30 Years Ago

Cees started this back 30 years ago after his son was born. He wanted to celebrate the good news that comes with welcoming a baby into your family. And he has been able to do just that as well as fostering community in his neighborhood and city.

"It helps that we have people like Cees around the neighborhood who keep the block together and unified," Larry added.

And what a wonderful thing to do. God calls us to love our neighbors, and that is exactly what Cees Brinkman is doing and has been doing for decades.

"We take pride in having good neighbors and good friends," he shares. And it shows. Making this world a better place for those around him.

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“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.” -  Mark 12:30-31

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h/t: News Channel 5

Featured Image Credit: GettyImages/Airdone

Julie Provost is a GodUpdates staff writer and editor. She lives in Tennessee with her husband, three boys, and little dog Max. She loves to read, go to the movies, and enjoy time with family and friends.