Fam-dam-ily

I've told you about my wonderful Mom. Yes, she was as strict as Hitler but I respect her like no one else on this earth. My Dad has been made fun of as being a Mr. Q-tip because he's spotless and whisks your dinner plate out from under you after you've taken the last bite. But he's a giving man with a pure heart so he makes a wonderful role model.

I don't think I've told too many stories of my brothers, other than the one of two of them crashing into one another in the middle of a field with nothing around them. Or the story of my younger brother and the Dataman game. I have 3 brothers. In the scheme of things, two are older, one is younger.

The oldest one I'll call Dr. Jekyll (he's the dude in the white shirt). He is the most giving, positive, happy spirited dude I've ever known. In the face of great adversity, he always manages to put on a happy face and find the good in everything. He's a bonsai artist and anyone who ever goes to his house is roped into trimming on plants to create true beauty. He loves to cook and every one of his 4 children are accomplished cooks because he made them get in the kitchen and help him. Heck, I can't get my own kids to cook with me but they're always helping him. When we were in high school, he was always kind to me. He took me shopping and bought me treats and even took me with him on some of his dates. The only thing I can remember that he did to me that I didn't like was to beat on my stuffed animals and when I'd cry, he'd mock me. It used to piss me off so much. I'd chase him, hoping to kill him but he was always faster then me.

The next brother (the shortest dude) was the one who had the same statement for me for the entire time we were growing up. "I hate you, I wish you would die." I heard that 50 thousand times if I heard it once. He didn't want to be seen with me, he didn't want to talk to me - I really believe he wanted me dead. He didn't get nice until he went away to college. And even then, he's kept his distance. He's a super cool guy with a great personality and I would like nothing better than to be able to hang out with him but for some reason, he still keeps his distance.

My youngest brother (the HUGE dude) started out living across the street from us when we were little. My Mom and his Dad got married and then we were brother and sister. He and I got along pretty well. He's a major brainiac so most of the time when he's talking to me, I have no clue what he's saying. I always have to remind him to "dumb it down" for me. He went back to college after retiring from the Army not too long ago, and I don't know what he's going to be. Probably a nuclear physicist or brain surgeon or an Einstein. Whatever he chooses, he'll be at the top of his field.

On the rare times that I get together with all 3 of my brothers it's fun, crazy...total mayhem. The world better watch out because our 4 minds combined we could cause total destruction. It's so dang fun. Our respective spouses don't stand a chance. They will end up hanging out together because they can't get a word in edgewise with us.

I consider myself a very lucky girl to have such great guys around me. I wish I could see them all lots more. Sometimes I wonder if they'll miss me when I'm dead and gone. My oldest brother will have lost a beer drinking buddy. My youngest brother will have lost...I don't know but he might be sad. My middle brother might miss me a little - I just don't know. All I know is that I love them more than anything and I'm terribly proud of them. If anyone were to mess with them, I'd fight them to the death - me probably being the first one killed. I'd give them a kidney or my eyes or even my heart. But then again, they already have my heart.