A letter to my Brother
Don,
It's hasn’t been long since God called you home,
I know that you are in a much better place now and that your pain is gone.
You know the memories I have of you go back a long time.
One of my earliest memories is when you and I would get up out of our beds and watched our father pull his car out of the garage and head off for work in the morning.
I remember when we would make snow forts, and fill them with snowballs. Then when we were done we would have a huge snowball fight.
I also remember skating and playing hockey down on the pond by the pipes, and when I fell through the ice I remember you walking me home.
I remember when you used a towel for a cape and played superman by jumping down the stairs, but you jumped high enough to crack your head on the corner of the ceiling, it only took a couple of stiches for your head, I believe the mark on the corner was still there when we moved.
I remember building tree forts in the woods behind the house.
I remember that crazy cat Claude, who used to wait in a tree and pounce on us or anyone who walked under the tree he was sitting in.
I remember one of the first times you were allowed to babysit, and I was in my PJ’s, I don’t remember why, but you locked me out of the house, it was winter and there was a lot of snow on the ground.
I remember riding our mini bikes through the many trails around the fields and woods behind the house in Webster.
Then there was the move from New York to California.
I remember the Pinball arcades that our father was a partner of, we painted the inside of the buildings. We moved and fixed many arcade games. Then there was those times that you took me with you to collect the daily intake from the arcades.
Life was changing we were growing up.
I remember you taking me to the radio station showing me how it worked and then letting me be the DJ for the afternoon.
I was there at your wedding, and you were there for both of mine.
When I married Cathy our relationship got even closer. Since Cathy is your wife’s sister we spent a lot of time together. It didn’t matter if you went to your in-laws and I went to mine, we ended up at the same place.
All the memories of when our kids were growing up, of Soccer, Scouts, School and Camping along with all the birthdays and holidays.
Then with our kids grown up, there were the Trips, the one to San Diego to the Star Trek exhibit, and the trips to Vegas.
There was all those nights we went out for Dinner, I remember the last time we went out and went to the Bombay restaurant. That was so much fun and such good food.
I remember the nights that our wife’s went out shopping leaving us usually at your house, just hanging out.
I hold all these memories and so many more much closer to my heart now, knowing that for now I can only share these memories with others and not you, and because of this my heart aches. I miss you so much.
The light at the end of the tunnel for me, is knowing that one sweet day, when we are together again in Heaven, we will be able to share these memories again.
I don’t know when, but sometime during all this, there was a change, and not only were you my Brother, but you became my Friend.
Don, you are and always will be, My Brother, My Friend.
Love,
Brett