He remembered the day it first dawned on his that he was a big brother. A real, honest to goodness, big brother. It was his twelfth birthday. Technically, he had been a big brother for almost six years thanks to Matthew. Matthew was his kid brother. His kid brother was almost six already. The little squirt wasn’t so little anymore. He started school, had friends of his own, and like things that were all his. Had he already been around for six years?
He was alright for a kid six years younger. They played together and got along pretty good for brothers. Sure, the kid brother was a pain in the butt at times but they laughed a lot at the same things. Usually Mom and Dad. Dad tried to be all strict and stuff but the boys both knew he just wanted the best for them. Mom was so busy doing everything and going everywhere the boys knew they could pretty much have as much fun as they want as long as they went where she wanted without much trouble. All in all, their parents were pretty predicable…as long as they kept their rooms relatively clean, didn’t scream too much, and play inside the lines, rule wise. Having the same parents was like having the same wardens at times and prisoners had to stick together. The boys were close because they had the same parents.
Still, six years difference in age is a big thing when you are twelve. So the boy knew his brother but also knew his brother was much younger. They had different friends, different interests, and different lives. They got along pretty dang well when you factored in all their differences.
Then it occurred to him. On his twelfth birthday. He was a big brother. He saw his little brother and knew he would protect him. He realized his little brother looked up to him. Heck, the kid liked to just be around him. Some of the thing his kid brother did were the things he liked to do. It was like he was trying to copy him…or even be him. Like kids do when they have big brothers. The boy realized he needed to set an example for the kid. He was really a big brother.
He’d been a son, a grandson, a cousin, a nephew, a friend, a student, a student, and a lot more. All of a sudden, he became a big brother. The day he turned twelve. That was pretty cool when it came right down to it. He had a kid brother that was only a pain in butt sometimes. Most of the time we was a good kid. Must be because the kid had such a good big brother. How cool was that?
Happy Birthday, Sean
Love, Uncle Gil
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