Remembering to Remember.....

My brother Mark has lived away for 25+ years. He has come home every year at least once, usually for a few weeks in November for hunting season and to spend Thanksgiving with all of us. I never realized how much I have missed him until these last few days.

When the phone calls started coming on Monday telling us that he had a heart attack, suddenly I was reminded how precious life is and how quickly things can change. I love my brother! This may sound odd, but I think I had forgotten. I feel like sometimes we go through the motions and the conversations....life is busy! And I have been quite busy raising my family over these many years, just taking for granted I would see Mark when he came to visit every Fall. The thought never really occurred to me that the day may come when he isn't with us anymore. Let's face it.....we don't like to think about those things! Yuk!!  To actually say that my brother had a heart attack bumps me into another place in life....the older years!!

I have so many great memories growing up with Mark. He has always been such a great big brother! We played together for hours...climbing trees, playing catch, getting polliwogs, riding our trikes in the road....yes....in the road! I was maybe 3 and he was 4! We lived on the edge back then!! lol   He would let me play with his army men as long as there was no love involved!! hahaha!!!
Of course all of this was followed by many of my friends wanting to date him.....and there were a lot of friends that wanted to date him............

He was my first best friend! And I am so thankful for him! And I am so thankful that he survived and I will have him around for many years....and yes, I will be telling him more often what he means to me!!