Happy Birthday Rod!

My little brother - Rod. It's November 17th, the day that he would have turned a year older.

I'm not good with remembering dates - birthdays and such. And, I don't celebrate the traditional holidays - Christmas, Thanksgiving...

But, anyway, November 17th is my brother's day. He would be a year older today. He always found a way to include me in his birthday. I would get a phone call and he'd say "We turned another year older Sis." I never asked him why he would always say "we" when my birthday is in May. But I would always respond with, "Yep, we turned another year older Rod." It was an annual ritual.

This being the second year without that phone call makes me miss it even more. But, I feel him around me at times and especially today I got that message from him loud and clear. "We turned another year older Sis."

Even as I look at his picture that is on my desk, he's smiling and I see a radiance in his face. Other people look at the picture and they see the face of a drawn, scant human being. Though his 6" 2", 240 lb powerful body had been ravaged by AIDS, all I can see is a wonderful smile and a radiance and glow that is unmeasured.

So, little brother, yes indeed, we turned another year older! I love you Rod. Happy Birthday!

Your Big Sister,
Dee Dee