Moving Photo Of 2 Boys Visiting Father's Grave At Arlington National Cemetery
December 21, 2017

“On the drive there, they were drawing pictures to show him and in the pictures, he’s an angel,” Kait said. “He’s in Heaven watching down on them playing outside and doing all the normal stuff they would be doing if he were still here.”RELATED: Mom’s Emotional Post About Visiting Her Baby’s Grave The widow of Army Staff Sgt. Fred Brazel looked on in amazement as her boys, Mylan (5) and Mason (8), carried on as if their dad was still there. Pictured: Mylan hugs his dad's grave Credit: Kait Brazel via Today
“They laid down and chatted with him and shared what was going on in their lives,” Kait recalled. “Then Mylan said that he could feel him and that he wanted to take a nap with him.”And that's just what the sweet boy did.
A Losing Battle
Several months ago, Army Staff Sgt. Fred Brazel received devastating news. Doctors diagnosed him with Stage 4 rectal cancer. The boys went to every doctor's appointment with their dad. As Fred faced a difficult battle with cancer, he had his devoted family by his side."We never once addressed it as a sad thing,'' Kait explained. "That was the attitude and mentality we had throughout the battle. We as a family lived and continue to live life to the fullest in every moment. . . It was their dad and they were a part of the fight."RELATED: A Boy’s Touching Salute To His Fallen Father Is Absolutely Beautiful Just five months after his diagnosis, Fred found his healing in Heaven. Credit: The Potter's Hand Photography And again, they faced the tragedy as a family. While Mason and Mylan didn't have long with their father on earth, Fred made sure each moment counted. Kait plans to live as though Fred were still alive, keeping the boys' memories of him alive.
“He was an amazing father,” Kait recalled. “You would just see him with Mason and Mylan and your heart would just overfill with joy. Sometimes I would watch him play with them and I would just start crying because you could genuinely tell that he was an involved father who cared.”And so, Kait wanted to make sure her two sons visited their father's grave. A few months after the funeral and during the holiday season, they made the 24-hour drive to the Arlington National Cemetary.
Two Sons Visited Their Father's Grave
Credit: Kait Brazel via People They laid a blanket in front of the headstone and there, Mylan and Mason spent the day in the presence of their late father. Mason even said a prayer as his little brother napped.“They’re a lot stronger than me,” Kait says of her boys. “They’re just really remarkable kids.”For the boys, the day was not marked with sadness. While they know their dad is gone from earth, their faith assures them he is waiting for them in Heaven. RELATED: Can Loved Ones Look Down On Me From Heaven? It's precisely that kind of childlike faith we as believers are called to have.
"I felt proud while we were there," Kait said. "Obviously it was sad because the boys are talking to their dad and he can't talk back, but really I'm proud because throughout the fight our goal was to be realistic with the boys without the losing their innocence as children. Seeing them share their lives with their dad's headstone, I knew we accomplished exactly that."During the emotional visit, Kait snapped some photos as the two boys visited their father's grave. And the heart-wrenching pictures from such a powerful moment quickly went viral. Kait hopes they will bring attention to the dangers to soldiers from burn pits. She believes Fred got cancer from exposure to toxic chemicals during a deployment in Iraq. And she considers the emotional trip to the cemetery a gift.
"Most families who have service members buried at Arlington live so far and without means, they don't get to visit. The fact they were able to visit their dad's grave is a blessing," she said.Kait continued honoring Fred's memory with another special trip. The trio headed to Niagara Falls, a place Fred always wanted to visit with Mylan and Mason. "Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whoever lives and believes in me shall never die." John 11:25-26 h/t: People YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: The Truth Behind Coins Left Behind On A Soldier’s Grave
Today's Devotional
A Morning Prayer to Help Us Savor Long Summer Days - Your Daily Prayer - July 31
During long summer days, it’s beneficial for us to remember God’s faithfulness and goodness in providing the season for us to enjoy.
Today's Devotional
A Morning Prayer to Help Us Savor Long Summer Days - Your Daily Prayer - July 31
During long summer days, it’s beneficial for us to remember God’s faithfulness and goodness in providing the season for us to enjoy.
Past Stories
- What Surfing with Bethany Hamilton Taught Me about Faith
- I Had a Girlfriend for Two Hours. Here's What Happened.
- School Staff Praised for Life-Saving Response After Student Suffers Cardiac Arrest
- Toddler Found Alive in Hospital Morgue After Family’s Heartbreaking Scare
- Father Saves His Teenage Son's Life By Donating One of His Kidneys
- Her Father Promised to Walk Her Down the Aisle, and Even After a Heart Attack, Still Made it Happen
- Sisters Give Birth to Twin Boys, Just Hours Apart, 'Can't Wait to Watch Them Grow Up Together'
- I Fasted for 3 Days and Only Drank Water. Here's What I Learned.
- Firefighter Gets a Hero's Welcome After Returning Home After Lumber Mill Explosion
- 12-Year-Old Girl Saves Friend After She Has a Seizure in the Ocean
- One Trail Change, One Incredible Rescue: Woman Found After 3 Days Trapped in Mud
- Young Teen Saves His Older Brother With CPR Skills He Learned in School
- Community Rallies Around Firefighter After Wife's Death Following Rare Cancer Battle
- Kindergarten Teacher's Former Preschool Teacher Works With Her in the Class
- After 16 Hours Alone in Her Yard, Elderly Woman Gets Help From Two Caring Teens
- Determined Young Girl Launches Fundraiser So Her Friend Can Play Alongside Everyone Else
- Firefighter Was Able to Save His Daughter After Receiving a Crash Alert
- We've Made Marriage an Idol in the Church
- Granddaughter Steps Into the Spotlight in the Same Role Her Grandmother Did 60 Years Ago
- A Man Planned the Perfect Drive-In Date—Then Surprised Her with a Proposal
- A State Trooper Found a Kitten On the Side of the Road, Then He Adopted Him
- What I Noticed When I Stopped Scrolling
- When a Boy Couldn't Buy Ice Cream, This Vendor Turned the Moment Into Something Beautiful
- When His 7-Year-Old Son Had a Stroke in the Pool, This Father Saved His Life
- Lost Teddy Bear Goes on an Airport Adventure Before Returning Home to 4-Year-Old Boy
- Mother of Three Passed Away Unexpectedly, Then Her Neighborhood Did Something Beautiful
- Couple From Oklahoma Drive Their 100-Year-Old Car On Route 66 All the Way to California
- Young Man Rings the Cancer-Free Bell, and Graduates High School, All On the Same Day
- 7 Simple Ways I Fight Lust
- Retiring Teacher Gives Each of Her Students a Special Personalized Gift to Say Goodbye
- Stranger Reaches Out to Help a Family of Six Whose Van Was Stolen While On Vacation
- After 50 Years of Teaching, She Said Goodbye to Students in a Way They’ll Never Forget
- High School Throws Their 90-Year-Old Well-Loved Janitor a Birthday Party
- 10 Upbeat Songs For Your Summer Road Trip
- 7 Prayers For Your Kids For Safety While They Are Off For The Summer
- Community Welcomes Beloved Mailman Back After Beating Cancer, 'He's the Mailman of the Century'
- For Their 40th Anniversary, Utah Couple Decides to Bike 4,000 Miles Across the Country
- A Father's Final Goal Lives On as His Family Completes 365 Days of Playing Catch
- Teacher and Fellow Students Support Young Girl Battling Cancer With Her Favorite Thing, Music
- Firefighters Adopt This Sweet Pup That Ended Up Outside the Firehouse
- 90-Year-Old Gets Master's Degree and Becomes Oldest Person to Graduate from Texas School
- The Lie That Keeps People Away From God
- Couple Celebrating Their Diamond Anniversary Shares the Secrets to Their Long Marriage
- A School in Pennsylvania Buried a Time Capsule in 1976, They’ve Finally Opened It 50 Years Later
- A Woman Battling Incurable Cancer Set Her Sights on Everest, and Made It to the Top
- Woman Walks Away With Only a Few Scratches After a Car Crashes Through Her Windshield
- A Simple Wrong Number Led to a Beautiful Friendship Between Two Strangers
- 5 Moments That Prove Moms Always Show Up at the Perfect Time
- Community Steps Up to Honor WWII Veteran With No Known Family
- Soldier Surprises Daughter at Her High School Graduation, and it's So Sweet
Top Music Videos

We The Kingdom We The Kingdom Inspire and Uplift with ‘Don’t Let The Darkness’

We The Kingdom We The Kingdom ‘Rescue Me’ Performance Video

Chris Tomlin Chris Tomlin - Holy Forever

Lauren Daigle ‘Trust In You’ – Beautiful Worship Song From Lauren Daigle

Pat Barrett Pat Barrett Powerful 'I've Got a Fire' Live Performance
Blog
At GodTube, you’ll find daily inspirational videos to lift your spirits and encourage you in your walk with God. Popular videos include worship music from your favorite Christian artists, cute videos with adorable kids and animals, hilarious videos from Christian comedians, user-uploaded videos, and clean viral videos to brighten your day.









