Brother,
Last week I was thinking about your birthday and how I could say something to be worthy of a birthday present for my little brother. I have been reading the softball updates and feeling quite jealous. I do not play sports any more, I am too broke down and fat. Not anyone in my house is playing sports. Anna and Alix are off making the world safe for blonds and Jonathan does not compete for anything. You still have your girls at home and although I know teenage girls can be so completely out of their minds with make-up, boys and "the most important events", they come home every night and say goodnight and you get to see those grouchy faces in the morning. So lets see, have I covered it? Not quite.
I am also sad because I do not get to see you near often enough. We could play tennis or go hunting. We could hike the Appalachian Trail. We could just sit and be quite together. That would be nice. We could discuss that bump on your head and compare it to the one on my back. We could talk about about our wives and how they put up with us, no lets don't get too mushy. I could tell you all I know about dumb stuff and you could listen and laugh. Maybe someday soon.
I am glad to see you are passing on our parents values to your kids and most likely to everyone you meet. I know that every week you get a new pain and a bit slower. It is ok, you do not have cancer and slower can be better. Take care of yourself Scott and I wish to see you soon.
Happy Birthday brother
I never really considered family members as anything more than luggage on a long trip around the world. It was just my self-centeredness that kept me from understanding that they were my parent's favorite and special children also. I remember when my older brother was given the duty of reading my dad's final letter to mom and the family. I was not jealous but I did remember it made me feel less special than him. Then I realized he was the first born male and a near intellectual genius. He was absolutely the apple of their eyes. When I was in the Ninth Grade, in English class, we were give books to read by the teacher. She gave some students Great Expectations, some of the "more bright" students got copies of Animal Farm. She asked me to go to the library and check out, The Mouse and the Motorcycle. Head in the clouds me did not even notice until I asked "gifted" John Muramatzu if I could borrow his copy of the mouse and the motorcycle. He explained that he was reading Animal Farm which was about a bunch of rebellious animals taking over a farm. I thought, man-o-man, I am a rebellious animal myself, that would be perfect for me.
But to God's Divine intervention, when I was in college, I learned about the Prostiglandin Pathway and how specifically the aspirin actually cured that little boy's (Keith) fever making Ralph the mouse a hero. I am learning snot loads about myself recently. I will never look at birthdays quite the same way. Which is a good thing.
I never really considered family members as anything more than luggage on a long trip around the world. It was just my self-centeredness that kept me from understanding that they were my parent's favorite and special children also. I remember when my older brother was given the duty of reading my dad's final letter to mom and the family. I was not jealous but I did remember it made me feel less special than him. Then I realized he was the first born male and a near intellectual genius. He was absolutely the apple of their eyes. When I was in the Ninth Grade, in English class, we were give books to read by the teacher. She gave some students Great Expectations, some of the "more bright" students got copies of Animal Farm. She asked me to go to the library and check out, The Mouse and the Motorcycle. Head in the clouds me did not even notice until I asked "gifted" John Muramatzu if I could borrow his copy of the mouse and the motorcycle. He explained that he was reading Animal Farm which was about a bunch of rebellious animals taking over a farm. I thought, man-o-man, I am a rebellious animal myself, that would be perfect for me.
But to God's Divine intervention, when I was in college, I learned about the Prostiglandin Pathway and how specifically the aspirin actually cured that little boy's (Keith) fever making Ralph the mouse a hero. I am learning snot loads about myself recently. I will never look at birthdays quite the same way. Which is a good thing.
No comments:
Post a Comment