Today it's his birthday on his side of the world. Tomorrow we celebrate here. Birthday or not, every day I am thankful for him.
He routinely pushed me down the flight of stairs in our tiny two bedroom house. I retaliated by scrawling his name on walls and furniture leading my parents to believe it was him that did it. He got in trouble.
He bit me every day before I left to catch the bus for kindergarten. I retaliated by tying him to the grand piano with robe belts. I got in trouble.
I would tease him until he got so angry he would swing out of blind rage and swear. I'd act like he hurt me and I was going to tell. We were even.
We were like oil and vinegar. He was the annoying little brother that always ruined everything. I was the big sister who picked on him with no mercy.
And then came high school. One year ahead of him I got a head start. Of course, he got picked on. Sometimes pretty badly. We didn't get along at the time, but he was my brother and no one was going to pick on my little brother. No one except me and I would take you down if you tried. I spent more time in the principal's office for taking on boys three times my size for challenging my promise.
We both fell in with the wrong crowd. Our lives went to hell in a hand basket strapped to a rocket ship. At the end of the day, we were all we had. And in that moment we realized our powers combined, we were unstoppable.
The tears wouldn't stop the day his heels made a deafening roar in the awed silence of the parade deck. My heart shattered with pride and love.
The tears wouldn't stop the day he hugged me goodbye and made the long trip down the gravel driveway headed straight into a war zone. My heart shattered with love and fear.
The tears wouldn't stop the day he told me I would have to make the decision of whether or not to continue life support, heaven forbid. My heart shattered with fear and responsibility.
For all the breaking of my heart he has done, Will and only Will knows how to put it back together. Few make me laugh and cry like he does.
I was cruel. He was a beast. And I wouldn't trade him for all the little brothers in the world.
Stay safe and come home soon.
I love you kiddo.
2 comments:
I love reading your blog!
Here's hoping with everything I have got that Will stays safe and well.
Thanks! I'm still a little shocked I actually put faces on here, but unlike Rick, Will isn't afraid to have his face photographed, so I didn't have very many annonymous ones and well, the pictures make it better. At least I think so.
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