To most people, a day by the ocean is full of sunshine and relaxation, but for Nate Berkus, it's a small victory after surviving a tsunami in 2004.
The interior designer and his partner Fernando Bengoechea were on vacation in Sri Lanka, when a tsunami swept them out of their hotel. While Nate survived the harrowing experience, which took the lives of thousands, Fernando was never found.
Now, Nate shares two children with husband Jeremiah Brent, and though it took many years, the father is once again comfortable enough to venture out into the ocean.
Jeremiah recognized the significance of Nate walking in the ocean with their daughter Poppy in an Instagram post from Thursday, Aug. 19. "One of the most profound and unrecognized parts of Nate's spirit is his strength," he wrote. "I watched my husband, who survived such tragedy and such loss in 2004, walk our children into the ocean earlier this week. He has broken the chain of fear and wades in the water, full of laughter and full of joy. There is no one like him."
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7prvNpaCnnV6YvK57zZ6urGdhZ4Z6gZdxZqeZpJp6o7HRpKysZZWjt7DF0mabmrFdnrtuwMeeZKiblZa7bsPIrZ9mo5mZwG59lmawnpmiqHqistOeqWarpafDqsLIp55mrKOqu6K5yA%3D%3D