The Boy

A long time ago, in what seems to have been another lifetime, I lived in Logan and was pregnant. My brother lived with me and, like every good brother should, he got pregnant with me. Meaning, we ate Big Macs and watched Days of Our Lives every day. For every pound I put on, he put on one... or two. I wouldn't say it was a super depressing time but I wouldn't say it was the best time of our lives. But I will say that I don't know what I would have done without him. We watched Marlena being possessed by the devil and Father John finally doing an exorcism on her. Oh, I remember it all. I cherish that time with Brady. Truly.

Today is his birthday. (Technically since it's the early hours of the morning, it was yesterday, April 7.) I was lucky enough to be in Salt Lake today so I got to see him and give him a big birthday hug. If you know this kid, you know what a truly amazing person he is.

He's had his share of shit in this life. And yet he is still one of the most resilient people I know. He's charismatic; people are drawn to him. He taught himself how to play the guitar and then he started a band. Then, when no one else would sing, he became the lead singer and wrote all the lyrics. Don't get me started on his brilliance. I went to almost every single show; sometimes I was the only one there. And each time I was blown away by him and the rest of the guys.

When we were younger I forced him and his friend, Dave, to make home videos with me. I'd have them dress up as cowboys (Buck Williams) or serial killers (The Babysitter I & II) or ladies' men (Fish 'n' Chips). If they didn't follow the script or take it seriously, I would get SO mad. I yelled at them and waited until they were serious and ready to perfect their lines. Damnit, he put up with a lot from me. And it didn't stop there. In fact, I don't think it has stopped.

Brady is one of the smartest people I know. Academically and humanistically. Which basically means that he has an extremely high IQ and he understands people, human nature, and how the world is and how it should be. We share the same thoughts about how poorly people are treated around the world and how devastating it is that we can't (or don't) do anything about it. His heart is so big sometimes it shuts down and he hides from us. But that's Brady. And we love him.

He's the only boy sandwiched between two sisters on each side. Bless his heart. If this wasn't punishment enough, he was basically left in charge of my mother when she and my father got divorced. He was in high school and he had to watch a lot of disturbing things develop including the deterioration of our childhood home. Yet he did it without being a victim and while keeping an eye on our two youngest sisters.

My favorite things to do with Brady are talk shrimp, hot box it in the car while listening to Johnny Cash, stay up all night talking about music, go through his vinyl records, listen to him argue with people, make fun of people with him, and clean out the storage shed. I am pretty sure that I have the most awesome brother ever born.

I don't think my brother knows how talented he is. If he believed in himself as much as all of his sisters do, he would probably be a world leader or a famous writer. I am not too concerned about his accomplishments though; all I care about is that he knows I love him more than almost anything in this crazy world. So Happy Birthday, Banger. I love you. Better days are ahead.