Happy Birthday Garry LaFave

To the outside world we all grow old.
But not to brothers and sisters.
We know each other as we always were.
We know each other's hearts.
We share private family jokes.
We remember family feuds and secrets,
family griefs and joys.
We live outside the touch of time.
-Clara Ortega

I saw this quote the other day in a book I was reading and it came to mind today as I sat down to write a Happy Birthday blog for my brother Garry.  Its true too.  To the outside world my brother Garry is a year older.  To me he’s just the same Garry he’s always been.  I don’t think of him in terms of how old he is.  For I remember him at all different ages through our life.  I remember him as a child, responsible even then.  He was the oldest and the tag a long little siblings were just expected.  My mom depended on him to watch over us and to help her with us because my dad traveled a lot.  And he did.  I remember tagging along with him to the swimming pool, to the park, to his friend’s houses. I remember the time he built a soapbox derby car and wouldn’t let me ride in it without a helmet on.  I remember him teasing me when I had my first boyfriend, singing the Campbell soup song because the boy’s name was David Campbell.   I remember him getting really mad at me one day because we were to wait in the car while my mom ran into Penney’s to return a shirt.  His nose started bleeding and there was nothing to wipe it on.  I had on an old sweater over my shirt and he asked me to take it off so he could stop the blood from getting on the car.  I refused. He got mad and started yelling at me. I jumped out of the car and ran into the store screaming He said he’s gonna kill me.  I remember how mad my mom was at me and at Garry for the embarrassment that caused her.  I remember going to football games and watching him play and I remember the day he was knocked out during a practice and taken to the hospital with a concussion and I was so worried he would die.  I remember getting to ride back to Mesquite TX with him one time after we had moved to Stillwater and having to stop every hour to put more oil in the junker car he drove.  I remember him punching Earl in the nose when I was in high school because Earl said something derogatory about me.  Mostly I remember the days on Park Lane when he started dating my best friend Cheryl Cawley’s sister Shelly.  Cheryl and I spent a lot of time spying on them.   I remember the look of pride on his face when he showed off his newborn son Jesse to me for the first time.  My first nephew.And then a few years later Jenna, my first niece and Jordan the second niece.Hes’ a great dad to his kids.  I returned the favor with a couple of nephews for him.  He was a great uncle to my boys, always taking an interest in them.  And after my mom died, he and Shelly hosted Christmas Eve at their home which gave us an opportunity to keep the family together.  And while I don’t see him as often as I’d like because our lives keep getting busier (he has two grandsons now) we stay in touch and I know that he is there for me, ready to help me if I ever need anything.  He and Shelly have been married for as long as I can remember and I admire and envy that commitment.  And so on this day I want to say…Thanks Garry for all you do and for all you ‘ve done for me.  I love you and thank God for you every day.  Happy Birthday!

The birthday blog wouldn’t be complete without the embarrassing photos! 
http://s1110.photobucket.com/albums/h448/elan58/Garry/