Letter to Me (Episode 3)

Greetings, my Lovelies! I hope this blog finds you enjoying some sunshine and beautiful Spring-like weather. With any luck, your world is starting to shed its winter coat and offering you much more reasonable temperatures. 

Welcome to Episode 3 of Letter to Me. I hope you have been enjoying my thoughts and point of view as I look back at my past. This one, well, this one was a hard one for me to write, and I'm sure once you read it you can understand why. Grab a cup of coffee, or a glass of wine, and prop your feet up. Here we go!

Dear thirteen-year-old me:

I know that being the little sister is extremely hard at times. (Older brothers can be a pain in the ass.) You've argued and fought, verbally and physically. You're both too hard-headed to do otherwise! But no matter how hard you've fought, you've had a ton of fun together, too. You've done well learning from his mistakes. (Please keep in mind that this just means you will make new and different mistakes.) But you've also learned and will continue to learn good things from him, too.  Oh! And I know how frustrating it is on the first day of school each year to have every new teacher ask if he's your brother. Get used to it. You know he didn't make his way quietly through high school.

There's something very important I need you to know. No matter how left behind you feel right now, that was never his intention by joining the Army. It's going to be hard for a long time adjusting to him not being around, but you will figure things out. I also need you to know that even though he is going to be thrust into a war zone, it won't be for long, and he WILL be coming home.

Don't get too upset with him for appointing his closest friends as your official protectors. Each and every one of these guys will take their new positions in your life seriously. Believe me when I say that a day will come that you will be thankful they were there to look out for you. It may embarrass you a little (or a lot) that he takes this step, but he loves you, and knowing you're looked after relieves a little of his anxiety at leaving home.

It won't be long until he and his first wife (yes, there will be multiple) will give you one of the best gifts a sibling can give. The first time you hold his baby girl you're entire outlook on life will change. (In a few years you'll get a bonus niece and nephew, too!) He's going to find himself in some difficult situations, and you're going to end up playing a larger role in your niece's life than you ever could have anticipated. She will be your first baby, always. You're going to be one of the people who helps raise her, who gives her a firm foundation that she will continue to build upon as she grows into the wonderful woman, wife, and mother that she becomes. (Get ready because she is going to load you up with a great-niece and a whole bunch of great-nephews.)

He's going to buy you your first alcohol and take you to get your first tattoo. (Cool, right?!?) And he is going to continue to tease you relentlessly, even as an adult. It's going to be great!

Those difficult things he has to work through? Well, it is going to take him a long time to sort them out, to find his place in this world. When he does, you will see that you couldn't be more proud of him and the man he becomes as he emerges from the darkness. It will be painful to see him get hurt time and again, but no matter what, you will do your best to be there for him.

Be patient with him and realize that he has to figure things out on his own. Don't worry. He'll get there. 

Eventually.

As always,

Much love from me to you!

Shelly (a/k/a Dawn Love)