Well as the saying goes, it's better late than never. My baby brother turned 30 on Saturday. The big three-oh. How the hell did he get that old. I will be the first to admit I haven't always been a great sister, but then he hasn't always been the ideal brother. Many many times over the years I would have gladly traded him for a sister. Smart guy that he is though, he married himself an amazing woman and finally did give me the sister I always wanted. I guess over all we've had a pretty typical brother and sister relationship. Our relationship was strained, at best, through high school, but now that we're both grown ups (most of the time) I like to think we have a pretty great relationship.
Dave and I are both very different people. He's is more extroverted while I tend to be rather introverted. Dave would be the kid that jumped into the pool without checking it out first. I'd be the one on the side cautiously dipping my toes in. I was terrified of getting in trouble with my parents, at school etc. Dave was constantly pushing the envelope. Dave was all about sports. I would rather have my nose in a book. Dave moved out of the house countless times to countless places only to come back home in between until something else came up. I moved into this house when I was 10 and am still here 22 years later. It's funny how two kids can grow up in the same circumstance and be so very different.
Some how, along the way, we both managed to grow up. I have to say Dave grew into a much better person than I could hope to be. I'm sure he would dispute the use of the word better because that's what a better person would do. He's definitely more socially responsible than I. From little things like making sure they buy locally grown food and fair trade coffee. To big things like organizing a Church Plant (The Third Space) in his community. We had a chance to attend The Third Space this past weekend for the first time. Mike and I were both hugely impressed with our experience there. Michael even went so far as to comment that he would attend every week if it wasn't for the 2 hour drive to get there. If you know Mike, even a bit, you know that's high praise.
It's no surprise that Dave's changed a lot in the last 30 years. He's still rather extroverted. I don't think he'd be so quick to jump blindly into a pool these days. While he still loves riding his bike, you're also just as likely to find him reading a book. Usually something much weightier in topic than you would find me reading. The gypsy in him seems to have settled, he and Mel have been living in the same town for years now. It would be great if they were closer than they are, but that's probably why our relationship is as good as it is. We're never together long enough for him to get on my nerves. He's become a fine man. My mom should definitely be proud.
Happy birthday Dave!!
Love your Big Sister XO
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