Big Brother

This week, on March 12, was my big brother's 67th (gasp!) birthday. It's hard to believe we are both so old now. Wasn't it only yesterday that he was giving me a ride on his bicycle handlebars? Wasn't only last week he was tormenting me as only a big brother can? In all the ensuing time he did a 4 year hitch in the Navy, got married, worked his way up to an executive job at AT&T Long Lines, lived for many years in New Jersey & Connecticut in beautiful homes, and brought up his brood of three wonderful kids. When he was 16 he desperately wanted a motorcycle. Naturally my parents told him that when he could afford to buy one, he could have one. (My mother was horrified at the idea of her first born becoming road pizza) Two years ago, he finally got himself a shiny, bright red motorcycle that he takes up and down the Connecticut coast. Leo said the day he bought it he could swear he heard strange noises and rumblings coming Mt. Auburn Cemetery where my parents are buried . :-)

Nowadays Leo is retired and living in Old Lyme, Ct. in a rambling old Dutch colonial. He had lived there only a couple of months when he came down with his first case of Lyme disease. Nothing quite like having first hand knowledge of the reason your town is famous. I spent a couple of days there with Leo this week, yakking for hours about family, friends, and assorted old memories. What a wonderful time I had!

Our brothers and sisters are precious and rare people. Always keep them close, for when our parents are gone forever, they will be the ones who share our childhood memories.

Happy birthday, much older brother! Here's to 40 more years--love you!