Happy Birthday Brother...

Today is your birthday...you're 29 years old...can you believe it?  ...it seems like only a moment ago that you were skateboarding in the driveway sporting a rat tail, jams and a Rude Dog t-shirt...

A tax day baby...I picture the tax day baby kind of like the New Year's baby except in green with dollar bills scattered on the floor around him...easy birthday to remember on a day most adults would rather forget...but it was the day you were born so I know our parent's look fondly on tax day...Althought I don't remember anyone ever freaking out about taxes either...it's just one of those standing jokes...I guess I'll get the punch line one day when I'm paying and not getting a refund!  Eeek.

The first couple of years...I made sure I was home for your birthday...to be there when the moments were very rough...I called first thing this morning to check in on mom...she was getting dressed for work...she seemed well...but I could hear the sadness in her voice...I don't think it will ever disappear completely especially on your special day...I haven't called dad yet today but I called him yesterday afternoon (he sent me a text, so weird that he texts)...he was at the movies with your daughter...I sent mom and dad cards...just reminding them they are loved...while shopping for cards the other day I was drawn to the birthday cards...so I looked...cards to brother, to brother from sister...they stay on the shelves because you aren't here to give them to...

So I dig into my memory banks to remember a birthday party from the past...a memory to share...we lived on Pine Log Road...your birthday was either on Easter or during Easter weekend...b/c there was an Easter egg hunt...and there were Easter baskets involved...and your dog (Bama or Alabama - cause we had both...named after - the band Alabama) bit Pa Pa...he had on a red shirt...and that dog had a weird thing with the color red...dogs are supposed to be color blind...but that dog could see the color red and it made him mad for some reason! 

Your life was too short...you couldn't do what needed to be done to live (you know, barring some other catastrophic event)...

So for your birthday let's make a wish...a wish for someone else...a wish for someone else's sobriety...

For more information on getting help (meetings, counselors,etc.):
Alcoholics Anonymous: www.aa.org 
Narcotics Anonymous: www.na.org
Alateen - www.al-anon.alateen.org
Partnership for a Drug Free America - www.drugfree.org