I have been called many things. “A big sally.” “Sap.” Too emotional. Been accused of thinking way too much. Of worrying too much. Of being too touchy feely. Of being essentially a big wuss. And I’ve been called all this stuff and accused of all this stuff mostly by the other guy in these pictures.

My big brother.

The first person, who wasn’t my parents, who stood up for me. My first protector, my first tormentor (but if anybody else so much as said a harsh word to me when we were kids, he put them in their place!)

The guy who stood behind me and would grab the back of my neck as we walked, just to make sure I wouldn’t get lost in the sea of people, or fall down because of my crappy sense of balance. The guy who admitted once, and only once, how hard it was to see me in and out of hospitals and surgeries and talked about just how painful it was seeing it back in the day. (And I’m pretty sure there was alcohol involved in that confession.🤷‍♂️)

But that’s him. Not a sap. Not emotional. Not a wuss. Not touchy feely and huggy. So my polar opposite. 😁 Every time I attack him with hugs, he makes faces like in all these pictures, like he just hates it and is trying to find somewhere else to be!

And dammit if he ain’t a great guy. He’s the guy who called my mom pretty much every day when, in 2013, I was once again going through shunt surgeries for the first time since 1996. Two surgeries in 6 weeks. Always calling, always checking in, showed up too, but called a lot. Or when I slipped and broke my knee a few years ago, or when I slipped and fractured vertebrae in my back last year. (I slip a lot, the older I get apparently! 😂😂😂….🫤)

But that’s him. He’s a hard working father, the guy works his ass off to provide for his family. He’s a good husband, a kind and decent man at heart. And a wonderful, gulp, grandpa!!! 😳😳😳

And he’s the greatest big brother in the world.

Because when it matters, when it’s not fun and games, he never fails to show up, never fails to be there when it’s important. Him and my mom were the first friendly faces I saw, shortly past midnight on the worst day of my life. You hope your mom will be there, but for your brother to take a plane ride halfway across the country too, that’s “extra mile” stuff right there kids. ❤️

And I hope he thinks I’ve been there when it mattered and that he knows I’ll always be there no matter what happens.
I love you bro. ❤️😊