Brothers

Today was a very special day for my son. He got to see his half brother that lives over an hour away from him and rarely gets to visit his "big brudder" he loves so much.

We met up with Nana Faye and "big brudder" Caelyn to spend an exciting day at Jump Mania! As soon as we get to Nana's, Hayden sees Caelyn, instantly runs to his arms with a present he bought for Caelyn before we arrived. "This is for you brudder" he says. Caelyn isn't much impressed with a bunny rabbit full of M&M's but he obliges his little brother and says "aww thank you buddy." This warms my heart as I see those two interact this way.

Caelyn will be 8 years old at the end of the month and I've been fortunate enough to know him since he was 4 years old. He's blessed with a wonderful mommy of his own and a great family where he lives. I still love this boy like he was my own; to get to see him grow up and be such a great big brother to my little guy.

Even with the distance between them and the infrequent visits they get, when I see them together, they just know. They are brothers. They love each other. Hayden still gets on Caelyn's nerves and while Caelyn gets annoyed, he's still his big protector. I got to see this over and over again today at Jump Mania while the other big kids were running around there is "big brudder" lifting Hayden into the big boy inflatables and playing with him.

While their situation isn't "perfect" it's what they have and my greatest wish for these boys is to know and love each other for a lifetime. And, to know that they are loved.

This made me think about my own siblings and how very different growing up was for me than it will be for Hayden. I grew up under the same roof as my brother and sister. I am the oldest of three, I was the big "protector." While we are all grown now I still feel like the protector. My baby brother is all grown up and living on an island (I know. Poor thing, right?) doing his own thing and has made his life all his own. I remember when he talked to me that day so many years ago now it seems that he wanted to go live in St. Thomas, The Virgin Islands. I thought to myself, how awesome it would be and how he needed to go and learn the world, but then I thought...this is another one of those things we do...and say...and wish...and stay right here at home anyway. I encouraged him 100% to go...and still in the back of mind I thought, he'll never do it, he'll never leave.

I was never so proud and tore up emotionally the next day when he showed up at our apartment with a plane ticket in hand. A one - way ticket. "He did it." I thought. He did it. He made up his mind and like that he was gone. I am proud of my brother that he lives on that big ole rock...and not because I like to brag to my friends that I have brother that lives on a permanent vacation, but because he made a decision about something and took initiative and left. He was young, (mostly) innocent :) and left everything and everyone he knew and loved to go find himself. The distance is killer at times when I'd like to talk and see my brother. We don't talk very often on the phone, neither one of us are big phone talkers. But once he walks through that door or gets off that plane, it's like he never left. We talk, we joke, we laugh, we cry, we drink, eat and party every chance we get until he has to leave us again.

My love for him never stops, never goes away. I always look forward to seeing him, even if it's just a few short days or even a few short hours.

This is what I want for Hayden and his brother. I want him to love and always look forward to those few short days or few short hours he may get to see his brother. I always want them to know. To know they are brothers and love with all they have. I hope the excitement from today lasts with them for a lifetime, no matter the distance between them.