Open letter to my baby brother...

Dear Bill,

Today would be your 38th birthday.  You've been gone for just over 4 years now.  I miss you a lot.  My kids miss you too.  Ryan has your Mountain Man drawing in his room and often talks about how talented you were.  Maddie fondly remembers you playing soccer/frisbee/whatever with all the kids in Mom's backyard and every time we are all together she tells me how much she misses you. 

You've been on my mind a lot lately so I wanted to share some of my favorite memories of you.

I still laugh at myself for calling you my "baby brother" until you were over 6' tall and we were in our teens.

I remember sitting on the yellow couch in the living room tickling each others feet for hours.

I remember the zip line Rick strung up in the back yard and we would take turns climbing the big maple tree to zip down to the swing set.  I can't remember how many time we fell.  Were you the one on it when the PVC pipe/handle broke?

I remember playing night games with the Crumps or swimming in their pool all summer long.

I remember eating watermelon with you and all the Maloufs on the 4th of July and on the 24th when we were so young.

I remember sleeping outside on the trampoline in the summer time and often having to grab our stuff and run inside because the sprinklers would come on.  Why didn't we ever figure out to check to make sure they were turned off?

I remember you trying to sing the country western songs on the radio while we rode in the back part of the old station wagon while sticking our feet out the back to "wave" at the people in the other cars.  You didn't know the words, but boy did you fake it!

I remember how you would trap, catch, and keep just about every wild animal you could.  We had ducks in the bathtub, a cougar in the basement, and who knows how many snakes, ferrets and other creatures!

I remember coming to visit you one day when you were in Jr. High and I was in High School.  I tried to give you a hug in the hall and you pushed me away.  You were so embarrassed!

I remember you being so mad that Jeff and I eloped!  Then you threatened to kill Jeff if he ever broke my heart. 

I remember how you laughed so hard when I accidentally sprayed "coyote scent" on my hair right before Jr.'s wedding.  Jeff still laughs about that, too.  And for the record... I'm really not an idiot... you had the scent in a hairspray bottle for heaven's sake!

I remember you coming the hospital when each of my kids were born and insisting on wearing a mask so that you wouldn't get any of them sick... even if you weren't sick at the time!

I remember the way you held each of my kids and fell in love with them. They fell in love right back.

I remember you playing ping pong with Maddie and Ryan.

I remember that you are one of only two people on the planet who called me "Min"

I remember wishing we were closer and saw each other more often.

I remember worrying about you.

I miss you, Bill, my baby brother.  I know you're in a better place now and I know we will see each other again, but I miss you.

Peace,
Your "Big" Sister
Min