to jake

i just watched the princess bride with my mom. she'd never seen it before. how that happened, since it was a key part of my childhood, i don't know.

also, my brother got into a car accident and totalled his car. i offered him mine to take on a vacation he's been planning and desperately needs after a riduculously aweful quarter of school and life in general. my mom said i was sweet to do that. she seemed to marvel at how i would want to help my brother. it seemed almost as though she thought i was doing her a favor by loving her son.

i wasn't.

there's something different about a sibling. i am now and always will be closer to my brother than to anyone else in my family. he's the one that laughs with me when a preacher stands up and says, "mawage, mawage is what bwings us togevaw today." he's the one that knows why my blog is called have fun storming the castle. jake understands why i leave the room when the albino comes on - because my friends and i used to think that his mole was a pile of dried buggers and, to this day, it grosses me out.

further, jake knows what it is like to have the television raise you while your dad reads a book and your mom works 10 hour days with other people's children. he knows what it is like to go to the Christian schools we atteneded, to go through over 10 youth ministers in your jh/hs career. he knows what it is like to have your dad lose his job and your mom be diagnosed with cancer in the same two week period.

he was and is my war buddie from dangerous trenches and my fishing buddie from many unsuccessful fishing trips. he was my partner in many crimes, occasionally my mortal enemy, and often the person with whom i laughed and laugh at some ironic uber inside joke until the laughter hurts both internally and soulfully.

jake only does myspace (a point we agree to disagree on) so he'll never read this, but all the same, i wanted to take the time to reflect on my little bro and all we have meant to each other.