Rob

When I talk to people about my little brother, they always get a different perception of him than the perception in my mind. I say "little," and they think 12-years-old and four-foot-three. Rob is actually in his mid-twenties and taller than I am. Maybe I should refer to him as my younger brother rather than my little brother.


We had lunch together today. The last few times that I have seen him, I have become increasingly proud. He makes me proud. I am proud that he is mine. We spent so much of our lives as a unit. We had to fend for ourselves. We found ourselves; we worked together at odd jobs. We made our own very successful lives without that much help. We looked out for each other.

To see him really come into his own is amazing. To see him doing things with his life that bring him joy, it gives me a feeling of my own accomplishment. I have always felt like my little brother was a gift to me. Someone to cherish. This must be how people feel when they have children and their kids are happy. I didn't know you could get so much joy from other people's happiness. Especially when his happiness has nothing to do with my own.


We will always be a team even when we don't need to lean on each other. We compliment each other. I have always found that when I am lacking in an area, he is strong. He can and will carry me. Even if it is just a phone call to give me a boost. Hopefully, my encouragement does the same for him. When something important happens in my life. His opinion is one that matters most. When I need an opinion, I value his. When I am overly emotional, he brings me back down to earth. While I can't work a crossword puzzle or fix a computer, he can. Those are valuable skills.