Meet Jon, my very favorite brother ... well, he likes to think he's the favorite but when a girl has 5 incredible brothers can she really be expected to pick a favorite?
I can assure you, however, that I am definitely his favorite sister and I know this because I saved his life when he was about this age .... by the way, NICE SQUIRREL!!!
No time for lengthy stories tonight but one day while we were working in our garden at my grandmother's house Jon managed to fall head first into a narrow but deep water-filled hole that had been recently excavated to install some pipes related to a dike that was being built on the river. My mom had asked me to help keep an eye on the kids and as I was making my rounds between pulling weeds and checking on siblings I remember walking out from among the rows of corn stalks to see Jon submerged head first - all the way to his waist - in this muddy hole in the ground. His little arms were pinned at his side so he couldn't possibly free himself and his little feet were frantically flailing about. I did what any good 8-year-old sister would do - I yelled to my parents to come quickly and then I grabbed a hold of his feet and yanked him out of that hole. He was coughing and sputtering up muddy water for several minutes but otherwise appeared to be unharmed ... though some of his brothers would argue he sustained some minor brain damage as a result of this unfortunate incident ;-)
Now wouldn't you agree that I deserve the title of FAVORITE SISTER for my heroic efforts??
I'm sure Jon will tell you that the title goes to the sister that sends him the best birthday gift tomorrow (Angie and Wendy - the pressure is on). I won't tell you how old he'll be tomorrow but I will tell you that it's a milestone birthday for him and I hear that he's pretty stressed out about it!!!
Here's a few things that I love about my brother Jon:
- He always has a huge smile on his face and he loves to make people laugh ... well except maybe when he's on the job which I will explain further in the next bullet. Jon has a great smile - one of those smiles that is accompanied by an ever so subtle twinkle in his eye. I wish I lived closer to Jon so I could enjoy his infectious laugh more often.
- He's a COP which means he's a HERO. He risks his life everyday keeping the streets of America (or at least Idaho) safe for you and me. And he was best in his class on the firing range so I know if I ever needed him to return the favor and save my life - he'd be there to protect me. P.S. If Obama is going to raise our taxes he needs to send some of that additional revenue to those that spend their lives protecting our lives. I will never complain about my tax dollars being spent to sustain and support our military or our police force.
- He has to play the role of a tough guy on the job but he's such a loving, caring individual off the job. Jon has a HUGE HEART and he will drop everything to help a friend or family member in need - guaranteed.
- Jon doesn't take life for granted - he lives life to the fullest. He loves hanging out on his boat with his wife and kids and when he's not at the lake he can be found supporting his kids at the ball field or teaching his wife how to shoot an A.K. at the firing range (because we can do that in America and his wife needs to be able to protect herself and their kids from all the "crazies" in world if needed).
Jon is a great father. He's a young father which means he's still a kid at heart too. His wife would probably argue that he's one of the kids in their house! He's worked hard over the years to provide a good life for his family and his hard work has paid off with well-deserved promotions that have led him to his current position in life. Life hasn't always been easy for Jon but he's "weathered the storms" over the years and showed us all how to rise above life's challenges and become better individuals in the process.
Jon, I hope your birthday tomorrow is memorable (in a good way of course) and I wish I could be there to celebrate this milestone with you. Don't be depressed about getting older ... life just keeps getting better ... I would know that as your OLDER and somewhat WISER sister ;-). A favorite quote of mine from Abraham Lincoln keeps me grounded as I face each birthday ...
"Live a good life
And in the end it's not the years in the life
It's the life in the years".
I LOVE YOU - Bro!!!
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