My Brother

Today my brother, J., turns 27. Since he thinks cards are a waste of money I decided to honor him in this way instead. He is one of the most generous, sensitive, caring guys I know. We haven't always got along and he sometimes has a hard time expressing affection but I know that he loves me and I very much love & care about him even though I am not the best at showing it either.

We had so much fun as kids. With just two years age difference and living in the country we were each other's primary playmates when we were young. We spent a lot of time exploring the ranch & messing up Grandpa's hay bales. We stayed up late playing Clue & Stratego. We got up early together to watch Saturday morning cartoons.

We fought a lot, too. We spent a good deal of time arguing, wrestling, pulling hair, & gouging with fingernails. He read my diary and I dipped his toothbrush in the toilet. We'd call Grandma to intervene over the phone when Mom wasn't around and we just generally had a normal, healthy sibling relationship. ;)

After we both hit puberty, we didn't spend quite as much time together outside of our mutual extra-curricular activities, Speech & Theatre (although it was probably a lot more than a lot of siblings spend together during high school.) I don't know what he thought of me during those teen years but my affection for him only deepened. I was proud of him.

Now that we are both living our adult lives with our spouses & children, that has certainly not changed. We may not see each other a lot or talk as frequently as some siblings do but I love him and am so proud of the man (husband/dad/Christian) he has become. I adore his wife & his children and think that he does a fine job of taking care of them.

Love you, Brother. Happy Birthday! Thanks for everything.