“It snowed last year too: I made a snowman and my brother knocked it down and I knocked my brother down and then we had tea.” ~Dylan Thomas
My baby brother turns 24 today. There’s some meaningful ‘sunrise, sunset’, ‘I remember when…’ that should be inserted here but I have none of that except: 24. Shit. This past fall he started Law School and on the day he started I tweeted something about this momentous occasion only to have my friend, Slynnro, reply back with: “Don’t expect to like your brother again for two years”. I laughed because it couldn’t possibly be that bad. He only has to be all, “Engle v. Vitale! New York Times Co. v. Sullivan! Warren Court!” and voila, he has a law degree.
Here’s how exchanges between us have gone over the past nine months in between him writing 20 page legal briefs and studying until the ass crack of dawn and me being, well, me:
Me: GARRETT!
Him: Ugh. What do you want?
Me: Hiiiiii!
Him: God. Why are you here?
Me: I wanted to say hi! Hug me!
Him: HEATHER! God. MOOOOOOM!
Me: I love you
Him: Leave.
Me: Ok, I’m leaving now. Bye Garrett.
Him: BYE!
Me: *smiles*
Him: *slams the door*
During his most recent and rare day off:
Him: Happy Easter! (via text message)
Me: *stands there and skeptically looks at the phone expecting it to blow up in my face* *waits 15 minutes because it’s gonna blow right?*
Me: Happy Easter to you too!
Him: Did you talk to mom yet?
Days later I tell my mother of this conversation to which she replies: “Yeah, he told me Happy Easter, too. I couldn’t figure out why he was being so nice…”
Happy, Happy Birthday G,
I am really fucking proud of you. And it’s official: You’re smarter than I will ever be or ever could hope to be.
Love,
Heather








Once upon a time when we were adorable
“She glances at the photo, and the pilot light of memory flickers in her eyes.” ~Frank Deford
Garrett wasn’t always the size of a linebacker and I’ve looked the same since 1991. You guys? I’ve been cute for like 20 years. Surely that’s some sort of record*.
*Uh, yeah right. Especially since right now I’m rocking the ‘hot mess’ look.