My big brother

November has been such a crazy month for our family.  We have had a wedding (the second since September), five birthdays, a 25th wedding anniversary, along with Thanksgiving festivities all in one single month.  Whew - it took a lot out of me just to type that.

One of the big events we celebrated was my brother's 60th birthday. I wanted to blog about him during his birthday week, but I just couldn't fit it in.  So even though a little late, I wanted to squeeze this one in during his birthday month.

Some thoughts on my big brother.

I love my brother. He is my only sibling.  I call him my big brother because he is four years older than me.  I like him as well as love him.

I don't remember a lot about our relationship when we were small children, but I think four years is a lot when you are younger.  I am pretty sure that we just lived our lives separately in the same home.  His world was full of sports, Boy Scouts, sports, and his friends.  Notice sports is put down twice - always important to my brother.  Still is.  My world was full of Barbie dolls, Brownies and Girl Scouts, and my friends.  I am sure I was probably a pain in the rear to him during those years.

And then he became a teenager, and I was right behind.  Watching and learning.  In the late 60's, as his hair grew longer, his cool quotient went up,  and as his interest in music grew stronger, I became  a follower of my brother.  He was very cool.  He still is.  He brought interesting (and cute) friends home, exposed me to incredible music at home or on his 8 track player in his Nova, and even took me along to some concerts.

During this time he began to perfect his musical skills which came so naturally to him.  I took tortured piano lessons for 11 years and can play a respectable  "Nothing but the Blood" and the theme from "Hill Street Blues."  Bob took for three months and can sit down and play anything. The same with the guitar. I am not bitter just really jealous.
OK - a little bitter.

From this period of our life, I remember many stories - several that my brother loves to tell on me.  Like the time the Sundown Collection, a local rock band, won a national battle of the bands contest. I went airborne with excitement, landing on the couch which broke upon my subsequent landing.  Or the time when moving to Fort Worth from  Illinois in a caravan of two cars.  Dad was in the front car and did not believe in stopping.  I had to use the bathroom so bad - I kept telling mother, but she wouldn't stop for fear of losing my dad. Finally the moment came - I could wait no longer. I squeezed my legs together as tightly as possible and let it flow.  I had a perfect little reservoir of pee between my legs.  Bob is hysterically laughing, yelling "Don't let go!"  But just how long can you hold pee between your legs?  Oh, he has loved telling that story through the years.

I could go on and on with many more stories...but what I really want to say is this.

My brother is my hero.  There are so many things that I admire, respect, and love about him.
So here goes...a few of the many of things I love about my big brother.

1.  He is a person of great passion.  Whether the focus is sports, music, most certainly his family, or his work, he is a passionate follower, supporter, participant, leader.  He doesn't invest emotionally in small ways in the things he loves - he commits totally and completely.
2.  One of the things he is passionate about is Jesus.  He loves Jesus and has dedicated his life in making him known and relevant to the young people in his life.
3.  Even though he has been a youth pastor for the last 35 + years, he stays committed to his calling and approaches it with a freshness and an energy that baffles me.  Again, that passion inside him continues to fuel him and his ministry.
4.  He is an awesome husband and father.  He dearly and unselfishly loves his family.
5. He is one of the most un60ish people I know.  His biological age does not fit him at all.  In some crazy way, he remains ageless.  I hope he redefines what 60 can be about for all of us.

I could go on and on, but it all boils down to this.  My brother is an original.  Someone I continue to look up to.  A man who has  positively influenced countless young people.  The greatest uncle to my kids.  An amazing person.

I am grateful for my big brother.   I am proud to be his sister.

May your 60's be good to you, brother.

Love to all of you out there or no one whichever fits. J