Reflections....

As I reflect on my life, there are many special moments that I remember, and there are many that I am looking forward to. As I have said, I firmly believe that experiences are much more valuable than possessions. Yes, I am rebuking the possession that I cannot live without...my minivan....along with my cat, my handbags and luggage, even my Mac! These things are the "fluff" in my life, not the hard core center that drives me to live each day to the fullest. The memory that comes to mind today, that forever altered my perception of family, birth, and all things sibling, is the arrival of my baby brother on April 1, 1976. Believe me when I say that he was NO April fools joke! He came into our world mid-morning, the day that he was due, and he tried his hardest to make his debut in the back of my mama's Maverick as my daddy sped down Spring Hill Avenue, often crushing the Azaleas as he had to cut traffic by driving down the median! I was 4 1/2 years old, STANDING UP in the front seat, wearing an orange and yellow flowered bubble suit, covering my ears and screaming to the top of my lungs. I think I received at least 2 pops on the legs during the 5 mile ride of my life! As soon as Jonathan was born and home with us, my life turned upside down. My daddy had a son. From that point on, I had to sit in the backseat of his Cessna when we took our routine Saturday morning flights around the southeastern coast of the United States. From that point on, I had a real person to play school with...and give lots of demerits to. From that point on, I was supposed to be the big sister, the mentor, the example. Over the years, we had fun, and we had fights. We loved each other, and we hated each other. Our father became gravely ill when we were young. Jonathan was 11 when the heart attack occurred high above Birmingham in the Cessna. He was the co-pilot, and I was at my friend's house (thank God). Dad coded, and Jonathan landed the plane. For the next three months, we didn't know whether dad was going to live or die. It was in those three months that we grew up FAST! After that summer, I was still the mentor and the example, but Jonathan was the one who helped me. He helped me cope, and he helped me get through Algebra 2. Our father was healed by the grace of God, but upon his healing our Paternal Grandmother was diagnosed with end stage Liver and Pancreatic Cancer. Again, Jonathan helped me cope, and he helped me get through Chemistry 2, along with my ACTs, SATs, and AP exams. Our grandmother passed away in September, 1989. I was a Senior, and he was in 8th grade. I was the "wise" one. He was the "smart" one. Over the next several years, I went to college, and he went to high school. We graduated on the same weekend, and I moved back home, but he moved to Boot Camp...then to Europe...He served our country in ways that many can never fathom. We both married and started our families, and our parents are still alive and well. They have taught us how to live for His Glory, and through example, they have shown us how to raise a family. My brother came into my life on a day of practical jokes and little white lies. We don't "celebrate" that part of April 1 in our family. We celebrate him. We celebrate the experiences that made us who we are.

"It's not about getting through the storm. It's about learning to dance in the rain."