For Phil

Today, I am wishing my brother a Happy Birthday.   This is the brother closest to me in age, though that is 10 and 1/2 years.  But it never quite felt like 10 and 1/2 because...well, because.

It must not have been easy to give up his "youngest" spot in the birth order to a surprise child like me, but he did--fairly graciously.  Here is how he made me feel like part of the family and not just an add-on. In no particular order:

1) Tried to teach me all about his baseball cards--even got me to attempt counting them.

2) Took me to see the Phillies play the Portland Beavers.  Wasn't too mad when I made us late to watch Mike Schmidt in batting practice.  I think I was busy riding my bike with my friends and didn't get back to leave in time.

3) Repeatedly cheated me out of M&M's. "One for me, one for me, one for you."(Seriously. This is a fond memory. Or at least that is what he tells me.)

4) Somehow got me to promise to make his bed for an entire summer.  (I think this was a deal where I got to watch ONE episode of Little House on the Prairie instead of Monday Night Baseball.)

5) Somehow got me to wrap all of his Christmas gifts from him--including my own.

6) Gave me the nick-name "Jo-Ugly" but at the same time encouraged me that this was "only a stage".

7) Encouraged me that I should go to Southwest Christian School.  "I think this would be a good school." he said.  "No way." I replied, " I think it's liberal."  (Yep, I'm weird.  Complicated story.)

8) He taught me to ride a bike.

9) Confronted me in my shyness and told me it was a form of selfishness and being stuck up.  Made me mad but I guess he was right.

10) Taught me to hit an inside pitch.  Couldn't teach me to throw. Hopeless.

11) Gave me boy advice that my husband thanks him for: "Boys like hard to get, but not impossible to get."

12) Sang at my wedding against his own wishes in order to honor mine.

13) Endured me hanging out in his room while trying to listen to the game. (Well, mostly endured.  I remember getting picked up and tossed out a time or two.)

14) Let me hang out with him and his lovely fiancée--now wife.  It's still one of my favorite things to do.

15) Instructed me on respecting the office of the president.  I repeated a phrase I had heard from him and was told "You can't say that Jimmy Carter stinks anymore, Jill.  He's the president now."

16) Gives me a call now and then to find out "what's goin' on".

It's the kind of stuff that made me belong.  A shy girl with mostly grown and absent siblings, I craved any sibling time and interaction.  I was very blessed to have it with him as much as I did. 
I loved that he felt close enough to tease, to steal M&M's, to bestow a nick-name.  It was the type of experience that gave me courage to add a fifth to my own aging family.  I knew that closeness was possible even with years working hard to divide.  I'm thankful for the genuine brother experience and count it one of the best parts of my life.  He lives across the country now with his own fun family.  Finances unfortunately dictate the frequency of our visits.  But, oh, how cherished they are when they do happen.  Happy Birthday, Philip!  Thanks for the memories!  Love ya!   (Can this count as a card?)