A Brother like that.....

Growing up it is funny how a certain "pecking order" is arranged without much effort. There are certain personalities that mesh and others that don't mesh as well. I grew up with 2 older brothers and 1 older sister. I am the baby by 4 years, after 2 boys. By the time I was old enough to really interact with a sister, she was more irritated with me than anything. Kari is 8 years older, and so there wasn't much sister bonding. My 2 brothers were 6 and 4 years older than me, and one would think that they wouldn't have much time for a pesky little sister either. Paul, who is just older than me, has a personality alot like Kari and so they kind of stuck together. They would stick up for each other, and would side with each other during arguments.

David and I were always close growing up. I don't know if he felt somehow resposible for me, or if he just liked that I would do whatever he said, just so I could play with him! I was sure he was the coolest brother! Even when he dropped me off of his shoulders and I split open my knee, or when he told me we were playing follow the leader and I stepped on a nail trying to follow him exactly! There was the time that he was pumping me on his bike and he hit a rock and I fell off....splitting open my other knee, or the time he tackled me and pinned me to the ground and gave me a hickey on my cheek! Looking back, I must have been desperate for a buddy! ;)

As we got older, our parents were fighting more than they weren't, and David would take me out on dates with him, or just over to his friends houses and I would watch them work on their trucks, just to get me out of the house. He would take me and my friends to Taylors quick stop for snacks and sodas and he would sleep out on the trampoline with us. I didn't know that older brothers usually weren't like that. He would write me my own personal letters when he was on his mission, and when he got married, he took me to spend christmas with him and his in-laws. He never complained about having me along.

Now that we are all grown up (physically) we are still close. Our family is unique to say the least, and it helps to have someone on your side when the going gets tough.We had a family get together last week, and David was making Adylin laugh and I was very thankful for that at that moment.

A childhood friend of mine lost her brother in a car accident just a few days earlier, and I couldn't help but think of how fragile life is and how we have to really enjoy every moment.

It was this moment, that I realized how lucky I have been in my life. I hope that someday, Aiden can be a brother like that to his little sister.