Ten years. I still miss you.
People always want to know how many siblings you have. I always say that I have two brothers and a sister. Then they want to know where they are and what they are up to and I can answer honestly about two of them, but the third… who knows what hijinx he is up to.
It has been ten years since I last saw him and he left with the sweetest smile on his face, no doubt trained from the kindness of his personality. He could start some trouble though. When I was little, he built me a tree house. It was more of an elevated platform than an enclosure. We climbed up and I sat in my big brother’s lap, when suddenly the whole thing came down. I was fine. He suffered the wounds of the fall with a 60 pound kid on his lap in addition to the wounding of ego. However, his ego was resilient like none other.
He took me hang gliding at Kitty Hawk. Our group was a bunch of girls from a local all-girls college. His desire to look good sent him on a gliding journey that ventured past the sand dune and over the highway, leaving me and the girls to gape in horror that he might go down and get hit by a car, or even to keep going and wind up over the ocean. Luckily he came down safely and then had to drag the glider all the way back up to the top. But he did this easily, fired up from his ride. (I did not fare quite as well. For me it was hang-crashing).
My brother maintained his youthful enthusiasm for everything. He had a zip-line in his backyard which eventually brought down a tree and part of his deck. His basement had an Eyes (sort of like Pac-Man) video game, the ones like in arcades, that he could whoop anyone on. He decorated the basement with random paraphernalia, like Coke bottles from across the world, and painted the walls with glow in the dark stars.
He made an effort with everyone in our family and was definitely the cool uncle, supplying my sister’s kids with the awesomest toys ever. Now those kids are ten years older and only the oldest remembers him, her God-father. Meanwhile, she is an honor roll student headed off to college next year. The middle one is a killer basketball player and the baby, the one whose sweet face kept everyone’s spirits up on this day 10 years ago, well, he is still the sweet face who brightens everyone’s day.
How much has changed! What would he think? Would he like my apartment? Could I have tricked him into helping me paint? (Considering how much I painted at his house… I think so). Would he have liked my ex? (probably). Would he be singing Karaoke with me at Jen’s house? (Definitely, and the boy had a lovely voice).
I am so thankful that I got to have 25 years with the boy/man who took me roller skating when he was 15 and I was 4; for riding me around town on the handlebars of his bike; for letting me be his roommate and not getting horribly mad (though he did get mad) that I opted to be useless when it came to helping around the house; for being kind and generous to a fault; for being my best friend.
I have no idea what he is up to these days, but if they let him decorate his part of heaven, I can guarantee it has a trampoline and a bunch of good looking broads. And maybe a zip-line that works.
It has been ten years since I last saw him and he left with the sweetest smile on his face, no doubt trained from the kindness of his personality. He could start some trouble though. When I was little, he built me a tree house. It was more of an elevated platform than an enclosure. We climbed up and I sat in my big brother’s lap, when suddenly the whole thing came down. I was fine. He suffered the wounds of the fall with a 60 pound kid on his lap in addition to the wounding of ego. However, his ego was resilient like none other.
He took me hang gliding at Kitty Hawk. Our group was a bunch of girls from a local all-girls college. His desire to look good sent him on a gliding journey that ventured past the sand dune and over the highway, leaving me and the girls to gape in horror that he might go down and get hit by a car, or even to keep going and wind up over the ocean. Luckily he came down safely and then had to drag the glider all the way back up to the top. But he did this easily, fired up from his ride. (I did not fare quite as well. For me it was hang-crashing).
My brother maintained his youthful enthusiasm for everything. He had a zip-line in his backyard which eventually brought down a tree and part of his deck. His basement had an Eyes (sort of like Pac-Man) video game, the ones like in arcades, that he could whoop anyone on. He decorated the basement with random paraphernalia, like Coke bottles from across the world, and painted the walls with glow in the dark stars.
He made an effort with everyone in our family and was definitely the cool uncle, supplying my sister’s kids with the awesomest toys ever. Now those kids are ten years older and only the oldest remembers him, her God-father. Meanwhile, she is an honor roll student headed off to college next year. The middle one is a killer basketball player and the baby, the one whose sweet face kept everyone’s spirits up on this day 10 years ago, well, he is still the sweet face who brightens everyone’s day.
How much has changed! What would he think? Would he like my apartment? Could I have tricked him into helping me paint? (Considering how much I painted at his house… I think so). Would he have liked my ex? (probably). Would he be singing Karaoke with me at Jen’s house? (Definitely, and the boy had a lovely voice).
I am so thankful that I got to have 25 years with the boy/man who took me roller skating when he was 15 and I was 4; for riding me around town on the handlebars of his bike; for letting me be his roommate and not getting horribly mad (though he did get mad) that I opted to be useless when it came to helping around the house; for being kind and generous to a fault; for being my best friend.
I have no idea what he is up to these days, but if they let him decorate his part of heaven, I can guarantee it has a trampoline and a bunch of good looking broads. And maybe a zip-line that works.
Buggie spilled her guts for you at 11/19/2008 05:27:00 PM
5 Comments:
He was quite the unassuming charmer, wasn't he? The little shit:) He knew what he was doing. I miss him too, such a pure spirit. He inspired (and still does) such good in people. Or sometimes it brought out the minx in someone, trying to break that resolve, aka HARMONY! That pic still cracks me up.
Love you and Mama and K and the kids--all the way to the moon and back. XOXOX
I wish I could have known him. He sounds like he was a great person.
That is some pic!
I tried to edit out Harms' tongue, to no avail. He loved you guys, even if he may have been a little scared of all those hands.
Liz you would have loved him. He would have loved you.
Would he like my ex? - got me laughing. Why yes - bOObs.
Grr, thanks for always blurting out "He'll have milk" to the waitress, no matter how hot she was.
Milkee and his brother miss you.
That is a great pic and he loved it, BAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH on you!!! :) try to edit out my parts!!! HAAAAAA!!! :) I miss him to and I think of him and I smile for days. His spirit lives on in all of us. LOVE YOU!!!!!!
ps....i don't know how i missed this entry, hmmmmmmmmmmmm
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