My Little Brother

Happy 15Th Birthday Little brother

I can remember picking you up at that dingy office and knowing life had changed. I was nervous, I never had a little brother and I had no experience with a 2 year old. But I knew the minute I saw your beautiful brown eyes, that I was in love. It didn't matter that you didn't walk, or talk and were so afraid. It didn't matter that the first 2 years of your life were dominated by a mother who preferred drugs more than her son, it didn't matter that you were so sickly and that your hair was the biggest ugliest Afro I had ever seen in my life. What mattered was that I had a little brother, and you now had a big sister. Through out the last 13 years, you have made up for lost time and become a wonderful young man. In keeping with our birthday tradition here is the list of all the things I still find amazing about you.

• You are so funny. (You have a dry wit that I hope I had something to do with.)
• You are compassionate and smart. I love discussing the woes of the world with you.
  
• You are so damn good looking and you know it, which may not be a good thing but for now am letting it slide.
• You seem to have already made peace with your scary start in life. That is so big, adults sometimes live their whole lives and never make peace with their past.
• You openly share your emotions and thoughts with me. Am proud you feel that close to me to never hold back.
  
• You are smart enough to know that skin color has never meant anything between us. Remember when some kids said I couldn't be your sister because you were black and I wasn't and you said our hearts were the same color and walked away. Amazing insight for a 6 year old.
• You can be a pain in the ass, which I hear is typical of a teenager, so most times I let that slide too.
• You are now way too tall and mature for a 15 year old. And although most people think you are 20, you are just 15. Enjoy it, you'll be 20 soon enough.
  

That's it, am not listing anything else because you already have a big enough ego. Right before my very eyes, you are becoming an amazing man. I am so proud of you. I absolutely love you.

(By the way, NO, I am not siding with you about getting an earring, and NO, I am not siding with you on getting a tattoo but YES, I'll do what I can to convince the folks about letting you get your hair braided)