To the brother I always wanted.

“All for one and one for all. My brother and my friend. What fun we have. The time we share. Brothers ‘til the end.” Bro, today is a great day. It’s your birthday once again and I couldn’t be happier. For a long time I was the only one and when you were born I couldn’t help but jump off the walls. You were born pre-mature so you had to stay in the hospital a little longer but I got to see you as much as possible. I remember the first time I went to see you I thought you were so small. I wanted to hold you but you had to stay in your chamber a bit longer before anyone could hold you. I was very happy to see you and afterward I was given a stuffed Kermit The Frog that had a red argyle vest on. I was told that it was from you and that you were happy to have me as a big brother. I believe I have a picture of me somewhere holding onto it.

That was the beginning of our brotherhood and I’ll never forget it. We’ve had some great times and though we fought at times, we still managed to be great bro’s. We experienced a lot of things together and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. For example, our trip to Maryland, when we dropped Becky off at her sisters to visit. Do you remember what happened on our way back? I’m sure you do but for those reading this, we passed through a city named Cumberland and a song by Coldplay began to play on the radio. The setting was perfect. As Speed of Sound played over the radio it seemed as though we became one with our surroundings. Cumberland seemed like the city in the sky and we both shared a moment of silence. When the song ended we exhaled, turned and looked at each other and we nodded our heads in agreement. We didn’t say anything about it though; we knew we experienced the same thing.

We’ve been through a lot together bro. You and I have been there for each other through almost everything. I was there when you needed someone to teach you to dance, which we have a picture or two of that mess, and you were there for me when I needed someone to talk to in the wee hours of the morning after one of the most devastating 911 calls I have ever taken. I won’t go into detail here but others can find it within my blog. It was a crazy call that involved brothers and it messed me up for the rest of the night. As soon as I got out of work I had to call you. I knew talking to you would be the only thing to calm my nerves. Its moments like this that make me happy and I thank the big man upstairs, and our parents, to have you as my brother. I love you man, and Happy Birthday!

(To our moment in Cumberland. The city in the sky.)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TahH7B_aUZc&ob=av3e]