This man gives Edam about his very unique hobby- collecting wax from Babybels!
A father-of-three began moulding leftover wax from his Babybel cheese snacks in his free time.
The bowling ball-sized sculpture weighs an incredible 16 pounds and after several years of hard work, he has no regrets.
After the loss of his wife, Brian Kuczenski decided to get a hobby to pass the time as he went through the grieving process.
However, it soon snowballed into something far bigger for the Dad from Tallahassee, Florida, US.
He said: “I was having a really hard time coping and stuff, dealing with a lot of depression and anxiety so I would just do little things to kind of keep my mind occupied and that’s how the Babybel ball started.
“It got bigger and bigger and before long it was about the size of a baseball.”
Unfortunately, the passing of his wife was not the end of the hardship that Brian and his family would face as Hurricane Michael struck Florida.
Speaking on how the 2018 hurricane affected his family, Brian explained: “We had to leave our house because we only lived two blocks from the water, so we left and went to our local church, which was not the best idea because the church came down on top of us.
“It was very scary, and we weren’t sure we were going to survive.”
“I had to hike back and discover that our house had been destroyed and all I managed to salvage were a few pictures, some clothes and that Babybel ball.”
Since then, with his family re-settled, Brian has continued to work on the Babybel ball, saving all of the leftover wax from any that he or his family eat.
He said: “The last time I weighed it, it was 16 pounds, I’ll save any wax and then when I have enough, I’ll add a layer on which takes me about an hour and a half each time.
“It’s about the size of a bowling ball now and I’m hoping to get it to the size of a beach ball and a weight where I can hardly lift it.
“I’ve had offers of $200 for it and, as much as it’s hard to turn down the money, I’d never sell it as it’s got sentimental value and it’s symbolic of me rebuilding my life.”
A hobby or any physical activity has been linked to many health benefits such as reducing stress, enhancing well-being and decreasing anxiety and depression.
This small act of collecting wax has brought a smile to this brave father who has lost so much.
Despite everything Brian’s Babybel ball stands strong—just like him!