OPS Educator Brenda Reed shares the secrets to balancing her busy life
MY FIVE: A series where we ask Omahans to share their five favorite things
By: Xitlally Velasco
Brenda Reed starts and ends her days with little humans. After seven years of teaching kindergarten, Reed is in her third year of teaching first grade as an Omaha Public School teacher. She is also a full-time single mom who has taken on a new role in bringing together women in Omaha in a unique way.
Reed is carrying her love for teaching into a new passion. She recently started to express her interest in learning more about the complexity of whisky after growing up with a father who was highly passionate about single-malt scotch. She also questioned the low involvement of women in the whisky business. Ryan Miller, the owner of Dundee Dell, offered Reed to lead whisky tastings for women. Only three months into these gatherings, the number of women joining has been increasing.
In this feature, Reed’s five favorite things represent some of her passions, inspirations, and resets that are incredibly important in balancing her life.
1. My Son.
“Every minute of every day that I get to spend with him, I learn something new, and better yet, I learn more about myself.”
- Brenda Reed.
When my little Aidan Reed came into the world, everything shifted. I honestly wasn’t sure I would be a good mom or if I was meant to be one, but that all changed the instant he took his first breath. Being a full-time single mom can be exhausting and stressful but is also the most rewarding experience. I get to watch this little man grow into something extraordinary. While some of it is my parenting, I have to admit that so much of it is just who he is. He is empathetic, brilliant, kind, funny, and inquisitive. Every minute of every day that I get to spend with him, I learn something new, and better yet, I learn more about myself.
2. My Horse.
“With our hectic lives, it’s important to do things that bring us peace and happiness; that is Maggie for me.”
- Brenda Reed
Every little girl's dream is to own a pony. I just happened to get lucky enough to grow up with a mom that loved horses as well. I started to ride horses at an early age, and it quickly turned into more than a hobby. My current horse, Maggie, aka Magpie, has been in my life for 19 years, longer than most relationships and friendships. The connection between a girl and her horse is indescribable; I’ve often worded the feeling as a reset or recharge. With our hectic lives, it’s important to do things that bring us peace and happiness; that is Maggie for me. Not to mention a unique bonding experience with my mother, who still rides and spends every day up at the barn.
3. My Scotch.
“It’s a connection to my father, to the whisky world, to the now, and to the 30-plus women who join me every first Wednesday of the month.”
- Brenda Reed
How on earth can I be a woman in whisky and not have scotch on my list? This picture is the first bottle of scotch I ever bought myself. I remember the year when I bought it, where I bought it, and the feeling that came over me when I finally owned a bottle of single malt. While it may seem silly to remember these details (and to still have the bottle only half drank), it is more than just a bottle. It’s a connection to my father, to the whisky world, to the now, and to the 30-plus women who join me every first Wednesday of the month.
4. The Gym.
“While I am working out, I’m able to think, process, and breath.”
- Brenda Reed
It’s so easy to get caught up in the stress of our daily lives. There’s the pressure at work, demands at home, and even our phones cause anxiety. We are pulled in a million directions every hour of every day. I am guilty of letting pressure and stress weigh me down at times. However, as I’ve said before, it’s so important to find things that give us peace, let us refill our buckets, and take some of the stress away; that’s the gym for me. I have been a fitness-obsessed gym go-er since 2005. If you were to ask my friends one thing that I would not give up (other than scotch and my son, haha), it would be the gym. While keeping my body in shape and healthy is a big reason for going, I’ve found that going has also allowed me silence. While I am working out, I’m able to think, process, and breath. I always leave lighter and more focused.
5. The Outdoors.
“Fresh air, nature, and disconnection from screentime are incredibly important to me.”
- Brenda Reed
Lastly, my fifth must-have is the outdoors. While I must admit, getting me outside in the below-zero chill of Nebraska winters is not likely to happen, you’ll find me outside during any other season. It could be as simple as sitting on my porch while drinking coffee and reading a book or walking my dog around the neighborhood. Fresh air, nature, and disconnection from screentime are incredibly important to me. When I’m thinking of the outdoors, the one place that comes to mind right away is Colorado. I’ve been creating memories there since I was nine months old. My heart races as I drive through the mountains, eager to step outside and smell the aspen and pine trees. If it is outside in the mountain air, you name it, and I will be there. From hiking to white water rafting, there is a safe bet you will find me there. Outside. In nature. With quite possibly the biggest, silliest grin on my face. Pure unadulterated joy, and that’s what life should be.
Xitlally Velasco is a University of Nebraska at Omaha journalism student with a concentration in public relations and advertising and a minor in Psychology. Velasco is the Digital Content Curator at Lozafina Marketing and Public Relations. Send your tips and story ideas to office@lozafina.com
