Happy Birthday

I can’t believe it. My Baby brother is turning 14 this week. I know I jumped the gun by a few days but it just amazes me. He is a brilliant young man.

Cody I hope you read this…. Happy Birthday!!

It truly seems like just a little while ago that I sat in a waiting room, anxious as to what the day had in store for me. You came into this world with your personality blazing. (He was ornery and defiant even before he was born) Determined to be different, you refused to flip and were a breeched baby. ( If you know him, it is exactly how he would have chosen to come into this world, on his own terms and different than most other children. ) I was scared I didn’t really know what breeched meant except that both you and mom were not exactly safe. The whole time mom was pregnant I was not a happy camper, I was scared that you were going to come along and change everything, and I needed my mommy. And you know what I was right, you did change everything, you made it better, you made us complete.

It is amazing how many days in my life have become fuzzy and hard to remember, but not this one. I even remember the smell of that day, the Planet Hollywood t-shirt that I rocked, with my hair in a half up ponytail and an awesome 90’s hair wrap I got at the Fair that year. It was a Thursday, I remember because I got to skip that day at school, Macarena was the # 1 song, Spice Girls was the CD in my walkman and we had just elected Bill Clinton to his second term in office. (Whatever that meant)

Fast forward a few years and I am cheering in High School and reading you bed time sorties. When we were at the mall or something together people would always give me dirty looks like you were by son. (As if that was a reason to give us a dirty look) I would be sure to call you “Bubba” and ask really loudly if you could see our mom. LOL One night as I was doing my math homework you were playing just a few feet away on the front porch. You called me and mom over to show us your masterpiece. You laid out rocks on the front porch in concentric rings; while you were still in diapers you pointed and announced “Planets.” Most children your age were working on the concept of yours and mine and you were already contemplating astrophysics.

I got older you started kindergarten and I started my Senior year, poor mom didn’t get a break. That was a rough year but I was so proud of your quickly developing reading ability. I went off to college and never knew how much I would miss you. You drew me pictures and sent them to me in care packages I made you a CD for Christmas and you constantly sang “I love you more” by Matthew West. It kind of became our little theme.

And now here you are a 14 year old young man about to go into High School yourself. I don’t know what I’ll do on your graduation day but I can’t wait to draw you pictures and send you care packages when you go off to college. I wonder who you will be.

 And I still love you more than the Sun and the Stars.