Brothers

October 3rd, 1991 and January 6th, 1993 are two paramount days in my life. Because in those days I became a bossy older sister and then a bossy older sister again. I role I was destined to play. Telling them what to do was the highlight of my childhood. It might still be the highlight of my adulthood.

Me, Philip, and Taylor. Pictures are hard.

My brother Taylor entered into this world and would not stop crying. At one point a very sleep deprived and grumpy Meghan proclaimed "take him back and get a new one." I hated/loved the kid at the same time. My mom would have me sit on the floor and lay him across my lap, and when my mom wasn't looking I would move my legs, and he would fall to the ground. I had some issues as a three old. Taylor has always marched to his own drum and managed to stand out in our family against his loud mouth extroverted sister, and that hated/loved his infant's guts. He wore his underwear backward so he could see the Power Rangers in the front, and took his Kindergarten yearbook pictures with a busted nose, black eyes, and busted lips because he tripped on the playground and landed face first on a railroad tie. That accident led to the discovery that he has Von Willebrand's Disease. Basically, homeboy's blood doesn't clot. He has handled a life full of hour-long nosebleeds and bruising with humor and grace. My little Tay Turd has grown into a fine young man. He is the best kind of nerd. He still stands out against his extroverted sister, and does so in all of his introverted glory. He works hard and wants the best life possible. It might not be the direction or the plan that he had, but he is dedicated to his career in the trucking industry. For every truck driver on the highway, there is a dedicated group of men and women that tell that drivers where to go, when they can stop, and when they have traveled too much. His leadership over his drivers keeps those on the roads with his drivers safe, and it keeps his drivers safe. I still boss him around and let him know that I'm the boss, which is comical because he is a foot taller than me. I glad my parents didn't listen to an overly dramatic three-year-old me, I'm kind of happy we kept him.

Then there is Philip...

Philip came into this world only two weeks after the death of my grandfather. He was what my family needed at the right time. I handled his birth a little bit differently than Taylor's, I mean didn't fling him to the floor while I was holding him. Philip, P Man, or Phoppy depending on who is talking to him, has a pretty unique story. In first grade, it became very apparent that he struggled with reading. I mean struggled with reading. He was later tested, and we found out that had multiple learning disabilities. My parents were told that he would never read at grade level, would never graduate high school, would never go to college, and would struggle with learning and reading his whole life. Let me tell what this kid, my parents, and a dedicated team of teachers made happen. He started to read beyond grade level, he made the Arkansas All-State Choir three years in a row, he graduated with honors and as a member of the National Honor Society, he got accepted into college, he passed his national boards exams to be an athletic trainer, and on Friday he graduates college with the Cum Laude distinction. Not too bad for a kid that was never supposed to read. If I could take one moment and be an education advocate, if Philip had to do what our third graders in Oklahoma are asked to do with their state reading test, Philp wouldn't have made it this far. Our Phoppy has come a long way from the kid that used to wear and play in his "thinking costume" aka his bathrobe, that ran out of my grandma's house naked to greet a group of firefighters that were passing out candy canes, and that broke every ceiling fan globe in our house playing swords. He is loving and kind, and he still gets worked up when I tease him. He still gets me things when I demand them from him, and he only does so with minor amounts of complaining.

So to Tay Turd and Phoppy, I'm so proud of you. I'm thankful for our childhood, but I'm more grateful for our adult friendships. Now remember I might be a foot shorter than both of you, but I'm still the boss and in charge. Because bossy older sister is a role I was meant to play! Now for the love, will one of you please go get me some Kleenex for the crying I just did.