My Brother

Today would have been my brother's birthday. He passed away ten years ago after a courageous, year long fight with cancer. He was a wonderful son, brother, husband and father and is dearly missed by all that knew and loved him. His beautiful smile, sense of humor, willingness to help those close to him and those who needed a helping hand or word of encourgement made him an extra special person in our lives as well as the lives he touched each day along life's journey. I will always miss him, because not only were we inseparable all our lives, he was also my good friend, who was always there with words of encourgement and advice to not give up on what one wanted to try or do. He loved life to it's fullest and each day was a new beginning of something wonderous and enlightening. He looked for ways to give a helping hand to anyone and everybody who needed it, especially those who were struggling with life and had a hard time trying to make ends meet. What I will remember the most is the fun we had growing up, sleigh riding, going to football games, playing cards. However what I will always cherish and hold dear to my heart is his last year with us and how much he encourged us to not give up, live life to it's fullest and do what makes us happiest, try new adventures and and be happy. All this while fighting a battle that he knew he wouldn't win but still knew there was always HOPE that he might.
We all miss him and wish he was here so we could have his favorite carrot cake, with all the birthday candles and wish him yet another year of fun and wonder, new adventures.