I am the person I am because of my family … there is no mistaking that fact.
Through the years, I have watched them become the people they are today … amazing, incredible, life-changing people … individuals, who I am proud to call “family.”
I have clapped through the good times and cried through the bad. I have smiled and celebrated through the many successes and triumphant moments of their journeys. I have wept and wrapped them in a loving embrace through the moments of solitude and trouble. They are, after all, my family; and that is what family does.
There are so many good qualities they possess which I envy … which I strive to achieve; and as I’ve watched the life of my older brother progress, I have been in awe.
I owe so much of myself to him.
Since the age of nine, he has been my hero, in more ways than I can describe.
He is talented and creative and funny (though sometimes only I think the last one is true). He is incredible with people … possessing a charm, an influence, and a persuasiveness in his words and actions and demeanor. He is musical; and it’s in this that we connect the most … and it’s in this that my life has been impacted the most by him.
Music has always been our connect … our bridge to life and love and hope and growth. Through the beauty of melody and harmony … music and lyrics … he has taught me so many lessons (more than anyone even realizes). Lessons of confidence and leadership … lessons of influence … lessons of how to handle success and how to recover from mistakes.
Music has always been our connect; and through music, I have truly seen my amazing older brother.
I have seen his life develop … marriage and children and life. I have seen some incredible times and I have seen times less than incredible. Through all those times, I have watched as my older brother became more amazing.
I have noticed that in the bad times … trying times … purifying times … the true nature of a person comes to the surface; and in my older brother it did.
I got a call the other day; and I could hear the excitement in his voice because he had news that I could celebrate. You see, he met someone and not just “someone” … but that special someone.
I hope you know the type of someone I am talking about.
She is the type of someone everyone dreams their loved one will find. The type of someone who “gets them” … understands who they are and doesn’t just embrace their greatness, but helps the loved one continue to achieve greatness.
She is that type of someone.
The type of someone who laughs with him and cries with him. She is the type of someone who loves the good in him and, though there are flaws, sees the beauty in the flaws. She is the type of someone who brings out the best in him because there is so much good in her. She is the type of someone that I have prayed my older brother would find.
I listened to his news and I celebrated … not just because he is my older brother, but because he found something that everyone must find …
My older brother found love; and I couldn’t be happier for him.
You see, I am the person I am because of my family … there is no mistaking that fact; and my older brother has been a huge impact on my life.
I am happy today because of his happiness … and the reason for that happiness.
My older brother continues to make me a better person today, just because he is who he is.
So I leave you with this …
Can someone say the same about you?
Tags: Brother, Family, improvement, Journey, Life, Marriage, Relationship
February 5, 2009 at 10:35 am |
It’s unreal how many things I read here are the SAME things he says about YOU, Jeremy.
I can honestly state that I have never laughed as hard as I do when I’m in the room with you and your brothers & sister…and I LOVE LOVE LOVE to laugh. My father is a surgeon, and he always has believed that laughter is healing. If y’all could bottle up the mirth you produce, the world would be a much happier, healthier place.
It’s funny how the one thing we want to get away from as teens (our family) is the one thing we finally realize to be so very important as adults (our family).
I am blessed to have an extremely supportive family. When our Mom passed, my sisters were my life line… my sons are my joy. Now I’m getting even more family… a new sister and two brothers (which I’ve ALWAYS wanted). I feel God’s blessing and thank Him for it…and am soooo looking forward to the laughter.
Very nice blog, my brother (*giggle* I’ve always wanted to say that!).
Hugs from Kentucky!