My big brother

I am sitting here at work (with nothing to do) and reading other entries about my big brother, Mike. I'm going to try to tell you about my big brother - but I may have to do this in parts - because I'm at work!

How do you tell someone about the best big brother ever in a way that they will appreciate the man he was? I guess the best way is to tell you about my memories of him.

Mike was not just my big brother - but he was also my tormentor - a normal big brother. In later blogs you will see that he was also my protector.

Keep in mind that Mike was 8 when I was born.

One of my earliest memories is the time we lived in Candlestick Cove in San Francisco. Mike had been out playing with one of his friends - not sure who, maybe Jimmy (?). I was probably about 3. Anyway, I was playing at the building across from where we lived and I looked up and saw Mike walking home holding the back of his head. I called him "Bubby" until I was way too old to do so. Ok, back to the story. I remember yelling "Bubby, Bubby," but he didn't look at me. When I went home, mom was rinsing the back of Mike's head. You see, he and his friend had been beat up by some boys and he was hit in the back of the head with a large rock. I remember the police coming and talking to Mike. Sorry, that's all I remember of that story.

My next memory is riding in the car with daddy up into the hills around Candlestick Cove looking for Mike...because Mike had gone off to play and not told anyone where he was going. Apparently, he had a habit of doing this, because I remember being told about daddy going up one time to bring him down and spanking him every step of the way. But did he learn his lesson? Nope, not my big brother.

Ok, then there were the many times that Mike and Lynn picked at me about being "found" by mom and daddy. You see I was the only one of us who was blessed with brown eyes and brown hair. Not just among the 4 of us siblings - but I was the only grandchild on mom's side with brown eyes. Needless to say - I BELIEVED THEM!!!! And then our precious little brother was born and the brat had - you guessed it - blonde hair and blue eyes.

I also remember being about 4 or 5 when I was sitting out on the front step one evening and this big fat cat came walking up the walk and of course, being the pet lover of the family, I decided it was my cat. Lynn and Mike came outside and I showed them my new cat. They immediately went back inside and came back with butcher knives, talking about what a nice, fat cat he was and that he would make a good supper. I remember crying my head off because I just knew they were going to kill and cook my new cat.

I think Mike is the one who taught me to hide behind the chair when Lynn's boyfriend was over and every time the boy tried to kiss Lynn - blurt out "hanky-panky."

I remember having a bike wreck with him once...don't remember the details, other than I was riding on his handle bars and we flipped over.

I'll have to share more memories in the next blog. I really need to get back to work. I want to share these memories in chronological order (as much as possible) so you can see the way Mike grew from a boy to the man who loved God more than anyone or anything else in life.

I miss you so much Bubby.

Terri