He's My Brother

Day 228

I had an evening with family--particularly with family I don't get to visit often here. My parents and little-though-very-tall brother came to town. Tomorrow is a big day for him, for my parents, for me. For all of us. But today was family time. Our last hours before he dedicates his life to the Lord for two years. And what fun we had! And what happiness and joy it brought me to be with my little guy. I am close to each sibling in our own ways. And some more than others because of personalities or opportunities to enhance our relationships. But no matter where the world takes us, I believe I will always have a special bond with this brother. For it makes no difference that there are almost 10 years between us. We are still the two youngest children. And he is still the one child that I received the most of my child-raising experience (as I still wait for more of that experience with my own children). And he is the one who taught me most about patience, kindness, gentleness, fun, silliness, being an example, and so much more.  I will never be able to explain to any one just how much my little brother means to me. How much our friendship and sibling relationship means to me. How much I love him. How proud I am of him.

But the Lord knows, and I'm grateful I not only had a few hours to spend with him before he goes on one of the most important journeys of his life, but that I have had him in much of my life.

Today's Smile: I'd have to say it was all the smiles that passed around our family this evening as we spent together. Who could count whose smiles came from or were caused by who? It does not matter. Then the family gets together, there is always much smiling and laughing going on. And those are the smiles and laughs (of others) that I love best.

Today's Something New: My little brother is finally coming into his own in our family. As a child, he made us laugh because he was adorable and cute and sweet and fun and all the things that make us smile at a child. But tonight, he held his own in with, impersonations, story-tellings, joke-tellings, etc. I've waited for this day. I knew when he was younger and felt (and was) so behind us in so many ways, that one day when he was older, he would catch up. And then the distance of years between him and us other kids would not matter. I saw it today. It was such a happy thing for me. And to know that he will just keep making that gap smaller and reaching us through his mission and his upcoming experiences in life makes me even happier.