Happy Birthday Big Brother!

Today is my big brother's birthday! In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I am going to share the things about my brother that I love and respect.

• He is always there for me. We don't talk on the phone or write letters much, but I know that whenever I need him, he is there for me. It's comforting and stablizing.
• His sense of humor. There have been times, when we were younger, that his sense of wry, teasing humor drove me up the wall, but I really do love how he puts words together. He makes me laugh.
• His love of jazz. He taught me a lot about music appreciation when I was growing up, although he probably doesn't realize it. Mostly it was just listening to whatever was blaring on his stereo.
• His laid-back gift of hospitality. It relaxes me to spend time with him. He understands the joy of companionable silence. I particularly loved this when we were camping together.
• He taught me how to drink. Ok, you may think this sounds inappropriate, but honestly, when I came of age, it was my brother who gave me tips on not being stupid. Of course, I still had my stupid moments (don't we all?)
• His love of history.
  
• His ability to fix stuff. He just understands how things work . . . or he can figure it out. And he can figure out why things aren't working, too.
• His appreciation of the absurd. This goes along with his sense of humor, but it deserves it's own category.
• His wife. He looked around a long time before he committed, and Suzie was worth the wait, IMHO.
• His imagination. I've loved playing D&D, going to re-enactments, delving into fantasy and sci-fi literature . . . all by following in his footsteps. He would say I shouldn't follow his footsteps but walk one step behind and a little to the right, as is a woman's proper place (see sense of humor, above)
• His acting, lighting and other theatrical skills. Along with this is his willingness to make fun of himself. I love that about him. I will never, ever forget when he walked onto the stage in South Pacific in that coconut bra and started dancing. I nearly caused myself injury, I laughed so hard.
  

I am fortunate to have grown up in a great family. Sure, we've had our disagreements and rocky patches here and there, but underlying everything is the knowledge that we all love one another. We are all there for one another.

Happy Birthday, Dear Brother! I love you!