Dear Bubba,

Today is your birthday, and for some reason my mind is awash with memories...

That summer, instead of working, you took care of me while Mom and Dad worked. Taking care of me (as I remember it) consisted of watching MTV all day, and then cleaning up in the last half hour before mom and dad were due to come home. I remember the Duran Duran video with the lady with the weird make-up and the white suited fellers. I remember Thriller and the scary dead people, and you telling me it wasnt real it was just make-up. I remember the subsequent nightmares. I remember you making me watch the making of the Thriller video to prove the make-up story and me still having nightmares ;). I remember helping dry the dishes then you telling me to go sit down while you finished putting the dishes away. I never said anything but I distinctly remember seeing you pull the dishes back out after you thought I left and re-drying them cuz, well i was 4 or 5 and not very thorough I guess. I remember you trying to teach me to walk without looking down, though surely, that was way earlier in life? I remember how frustrated I was hehe. But, I got it!

I remember those really hot, humid nights and you telling me to "think cool" and me trying so hard and lied and told you it worked. :P

Later on in life, you tried to teach me how to ride a bike. Remember how I ended up freaking out on a hill when a car came? My mouth met the curb and that was that. I remember waking up from sleeping after the accident and saw you fixing my bike. I remember feeling guilty that I let you down. To this day, I do not know how to ride a bike, and to this day, I still feel guilty.

Later still, you tried to teach me how to drive stick in your pick-up truck. I remember shifting gears, or trying to, and you yelling "STOP STOP STOP" and me completely forgetting where the brake was. I remember you somehow pulling the key out of the ignition as we head straight for a telephone poll, and sitting there still and quiet as you returned your heart and stomach to their rightful locations. Meanwhile, Im like, "hey fun, can we do it again!?!?!"

I remember one night when you were home from college, going for a ride in your white vw bug with a black trunk (ha) and we saw one of those spotlights in the sky. We then drove around for a couple of hours trying to find where the spotlight was coming from, which was so exciting to me. Hanging out with my super-cool college brother, and the fact that you wanted to hang out with me? even cooler. I remember another time when you were home from college and you had the cutest puppy dog. You were training him and the puppy peed on the carpet (as they do sometimes). To my shock and horror, you grabbed the puppy dog and rubbed its nose in the carpet where it peed and then put the puppy down. The puppy was wimpering and I felt so bad for the doggy that I reached out to pet it. You yelled at me to not touch her. *sniffle*

I remember your accident and how completely broken (not literally) you were. A week or so (I guess it was) after it happened you flew up here and walked in the door and I gave you a hug and whispered "I love you" in your ear and you started to cry and so did I (heh wow im crying now). You then went upstairs to Mom and Dad's room where Mom was sitting, you got down on your knees, put your head in her lap and cried. I remember later how helpless I felt looking at you through the glass, and how I could do nothing but cry--even though I was trying so hard to not let you see me upset. I remember the letters we wrote back and forth and how I looked forward to your calls. I remember September 11th, but for a different reason. I remember talking to you several times that day, and I remember how scared you sounded. You are a different person now, but in the best way imaginable.

I remember your wedding, and how incredibly happy you were and still are.

My fondest childhood memories all have you in them. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for being there for me and I will treasure these memories forever. But we still have more to make, so lets get to it! ;)

Happy Birthday Bubba, I love you!

Love,

Little Bit