Memorial Day weekend marked a BIG (and I mean BIG-HUGE-GIGANTIC) birthday for my big brother, Dean. I can't believe that he is 40...it was just a few years ago that we were talking about my mom turning 40 and how OLD she was. I was just driving at the time and knew everything about life at the ripe age of 16. Twenty years later, my only brother was taking the bus to MiddleAgeville and in four short years, I'd be a passager on that bus as well. Yikes - time flies when you aren't paying attention!!
We marked the day with a little picnic at Dean and Deborah's house. My parents, my brother and I threw back a few drinks and talked about the good ole days. We ventured into scary territory when the Wild Turkey bottle came to the table and my darling brother offered me up a shot to celebrate. All I can say is that stuff is better than motor oil and worse than cough syrup...and to think this is the drink of choice up in the "north country" of deer camp. Why anyone would actually drink that stuff ON PURPOSE is beyond me, but I couldn't disappoint the birthday boy. A couple shots later and we'd found ourselves stripping jackets off because of the "after burn", searching for the answers to global warming (cause man, it was HOT out there after those shots!!), and deciding that faith might be a topic that we should avoid while drinking stuff that makes you stupid:)
My brother and I are what you would call polar opposites for the most part. He was the really, really smart guy - the one that went to Western and never got less than a B+ (and there was only ONE of those!!). He stayed close to home initially and then ventured off to school after a couple of years working and saving money. He paid for most things himself and didn't ask for much from my parents. He's the "outdoor" guy - hunting, fishing, you name it, he likes it. He's handy, he's thrify (unless it involves buying something for my parents or deer hunting) and he's the biggest teddy bear you'll ever want to meet. He inherited by father's dark hair and my mom's blue eyes - my dad's quick frustration levels and my mom's tender heart. All qualities that make him the wonderful person that he is.
I don't often tell my brother how much he means to me or how much he is loved because there is sure to come the not-so-gentle teasing that I learned to love growing up. But on this special occasion - the death of his youth **LOL** - I thought I would try.
Deano, you're my big brother -
the one that wouldn't let me follow you or your cute friends around -
the one that kept me up at night worrying because you snuck out of my bedroom window instead of your own to hang out with your friends-
the one that made my head pound with your "bips".
You're also the one that stuck up for me whenever I needed you to-
the one that was there for me and listened when I didn't quite know what to do -
the one that still makes me laugh with your crazy antics.
Happy Birthday Big Brother -
The best is yet to come
(or so they tell me because I'm not there yet...HA!!!)
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