My brother, John, turns 14 today. He is the last of the clan. It seems so strange that he has reached full out teenagehood. Mostly because he is forever stuck at the age of 7 in my mind (as that was how old he was when I moved out). But alas, he is nearing the 18 mark. Which means he is closer to getting married than he is to birth.

I love my younger brothers. I don’t get to spend near the time with them that I want, but they really are great. They are humorous, smart and quick witted. I don’t feel really close to them, and that makes me sad. It, I think, in part has a lot to do with distance more than anything. It’s hard to have a close relationship with someone that you see once a year. I really want that to change this year.

My family is coming to visit next weekend, and then we have our annual visit to Tennessee in September. And I’m sure they will be back here in November/December for the baby. I like that. I like knowing that I will see my family more than a weekend a year. That I will be able to really be apart of what they are doing, and they with me. It makes me happy.

So, here’s to you John Clark (or should I call you Hunka Munka?). Happy Birthday brother. I love you.