My oldest is growing into liking to do crafts– whether it’s pipe cleaners or paper, every week when he gets home from church his paper has a new idea he wants to try.  And the names he gives things!

In any case, his latest thing is that he is going to make a paper sword because the pipe cleaner swords that he made keep falling apart.

What I love is the fact that he’s thinking of his brother, and not himself.  He knows that this is a special day for his brother, and wants to give a gift.  It’s that small thing that counts– the small thing that he wants to do to show his brother his love.

First, a fun slideshow: (His nickname is Fireball for his hair. I’ll just let you guess which one he is.)

Fireball in Asia, on shore leave.

Fireball in front of the carrier they escort (left) and…well… I don’t know (right).

Fireball as a groomsman at our wedding.

By now it should be extremely obvious to you that he’s kinda silly. Okay, he’s really silly. And I miss him. He joined the Navy and has been having all kinds of adventures in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. He’s been to Pearl Harbor, Singapore, Hong Kong, Dubai, Iraq, and a miriad of other place.

Fireball and I are only a year and a half apart in age and we always grew up with our bedrooms right next to each other. There was a close friendship we developed at an early age and will continue forever. We were even plotting once to drill a hole through our bedroom walls so we could pass things to each other even if we were sent to our rooms by our parents.

Fireball is full of life and passion for whatever he does. He realizes that people are most important and spends time on-ship ministering to other sailors. I praise God for my brother and am thrilled to be his sister.

There’s no other love like the love for a brother. There’s no other love like the love from a brother. ~Astrid Alauda

A brother shares childhood memories and grown-up dreams. ~Author Unknown

A brother is a friend given by Nature. ~Jean Baptiste Legouve

It was nice growing up with someone like you – someone to lean on, someone to count on… someone to tell on! ~Author Unknown

Our siblings push buttons that cast us in roles we felt sure we had let go of long ago – the baby, the peacekeeper, the caretaker, the avoider…. It doesn’t seem to matter how much time has elapsed or how far we’ve traveled. ~Jane Mersky Leder

After a girl is grown, her little brothers – now her protectors – seem like big brothers. ~Astrid Alauda

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

Siblings are the people we practice on, the people who teach us about fairness and cooperation and kindness and caring – quite often the hard way. ~Pamela Dugdale

The highlight of my childhood was making my brother laugh so hard that food came out his nose. ~Garrison Keillor

Take today to appreciate your brothers and sisters! (This also includes brothers and sisters in Christ!)