My brother

He is. A character. For years he has done things that amuses his family.
I will not reveal all of our delights, but some I will share.

I was around 8, and I remember sitting on my floor, facing away from the door. A shoe, my own shoe, was whipped across the room like a baseball, and knocked me upside the head. When questioned, John's reply, "Well, I was just puttin' her shoe back in her room." That is my Bub.

Another favorite. He would take the tithe envelopes from church, and he would arrange them carefully in my dad's old briefcase. He was (IS!) creative, that one. It was money. Ransom money rather. Little did we realize how serious he was taking his game until we found a ransom note scrawled across the garage wall. He meant business.

Another time, I had received a $20 dollar bill, which I carefully placed on my desk in my room. Ten minutes later, it was missing. "Has anyone seen my $20 dollar bill?" I asked. My brother, always the helper walked confidently in my room. "I'll help you look." I pointed to show him where I had placed it, but he wasn't interested. He had already walked over to my closet.

"John, I didn't put it in there!" He was not listening. He reached his hand all the way to the top shelf in my closet and pulled down $20 dollars...MY $20 dollars.
"Well, well, well... What do we have here?" he said. On his face, he had this know it all grin.
Yep. He had taken the $20 dollars, put it on that top shelf, just so he could come help me find it later. Oh, and teach me responsibility. "You shouldn't just leave your things lying around." Thanks, Buddy. (Note to self: Hide all money.)

He knows....stuff. Facts and facts. Sports facts. Who's on what team. Who won what game. What actor is in that movie who was in a commercial who was on a tv show, with the other person from that other show...

He's our athlete. He's a Special Olympics Olympian, from the age of 8(ish). He would run track, and the long jump, and a myriad of other activities. He has the medals. (Still.) All of them. He has the pictures. He has the memories. The last few years he has been involved in basketball and baseball and flag football. He's the trainer for the Northride High School baseball and football teams.

He loves to sing. He may not know all the words to the song, but he loves the music, and he loves to sing along...even with what he doesn't know.

He makes friends. With everyone. You can hardly take him any place without him knowing someone. At his baseball banquet, they cheered for him. (Yes, they cheered for everyone, but for John [And, I'm not just saying this] it was extra loud.) Talk bad about anyone? My brother? No. He does not do that. He does not make fun or tease someone because of their ability or inability, or their lack of "coolness." If you'll be his friend, he'll be yours.

He passed out today. The fourth or fifth time in the last month. It was accompanied by a seizure of some type. There was a drive in an ambulance.
"Will you turn on the lights?"
"Normally we can't, but for you John, we will."

He is home, they sent him home, and he is sleeping downstairs, and I don't wanna leave. Coming up ahead there will be tests. My mom and dad are stubborn (no wonder how their children became equally stubborn). They will find out what is going on. In the meantime, he is still my brother. He likes to see me when I come home and he makes me his specialty - peanut butter and jelly (and he'll even toast the bread if I ask him). And, perhaps I take advantage of him, and have him bring me other things and plug in my computer.... =)

For now, we are praying, and asking everyone to pray.

And, I need it to be said. I need it publicly on the record. I want him to know- Bub, you are the best brother in the world. You are my own little hero. You are brave. You are smart. You are funny. I will love you forever.

However..... I will always be older than you. (That will always make me the boss.) ;)

Love,