Happy Birthday Prescott! Happy Birthday!

For five years of my life I was alone. During that time I explore the world, learn new things and found that being along wasn't all it was cracked up to be. When you're five, five years can seem like a lifetime, but on July 16, 1980 all that ended. My Mom, the woman who cared for me for the first five year of my life, the woman who I thought care and loved me did something (which at first I thought was a good thing) she gave me a baby brother.

I now know as a parent you have to build these things up in a child's mind. Tell them that it will be great to have a sibling. Think of the fun you'll have, all you can teach them, someone to play with. I know now that as a parent YOU LIE! You don't tell the child that they will have to share not only everything in their life, but they will have to share you. They will have to let this little person drool all over their stuff, they will have to let them tag along to friend's houses, they will throw "D" size batteries at your head and they will be under the watchful eye of "Big Brother" because this little person will tell on every single thing they do. These things are the things you don't tell a child when you are going to change their life forever by bringing this other person into their world. These are the things my Mother and Father didn't tell me when Sean came into my life at age 5.

I figure it out rather quickly. I even asked if we could keep my Baby Doll that they gave me and return him, but they didn't go for it. I found out that little brothers cry and take attention away from you. That they grow-up and annoy you. They can even multiple (I'm surprise I didn't jump ship when Kevin came along). They can drive you so nuts that your parents have to buy a bigger car to separate the two of you. Little brothers get all the cool toys (aka GI Joe, Lego, etc). That they can put pennies in the computer disk drive because they think it's a bank. Little brothers can go with you to the Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom at age 4 (Really Dad! It was the first PG-13 film.)

Little brothers grow and grow. They learn to swim, ride their bikes and even their big wheels when Dad isn't running them over (the big-wheel not the little brother) in the drive way. They can almost chop off their toes with a hoe, while you build a swimming pool. Little brother's can sing the wrong lyrics to songs and not get in trouble for it (Steve Winwood's "Roll With It", became "Off With It"). They get interested in history and then every family trip seems to be related to history. They can make you walk for miles because they want to go on the Freedom Trail. You can loose little brothers and be so scare about it, thinking not only that your parents are going to kill you, but what will you do without them around to annoy you. They can even go into the hospital for surgery, and come out okay on the other end (No- breast implants after all). You fight with little brothers about what is yours, what isn't theirs and why you wish you were an only child. Little Brothers who grow-up and don't go to Florida with you (while the Littlest Brother does) can talk your parents into getting AOL and the internet (BIG MISTAKE MOM/DAD) while your away, since it's only fair. You chase them with a cold curling iron (which they think is hot) and scare them so badly that you make them jump out the bedroom window. They run track (you make fun of them) and you think who are you?You can try to teach them to drive and then think it's not a good idea (for anyone to teach them).

Little Brothers date. They date the wrong people and they date the wrong people. They graduate. They take road trips with your Dad. You get angry at them and you fight with them, saying things that no one should every say to anyone else in the world. They get scared and don't know how do deal with things. They look to you to make decisions and take care of things. They call you when their car breaks down. They travel across country to sit by your Dad's bedside when he is sick. They don't pack right for the trip and you have to buy them clothes. Brothers leave the room when they put a picc-line in and leave a few days earlier than you do, because they can't watch your Dad (and theirs) being sick.

They bring the wrong people to see you sick Father. They try to talk to your Dad and don't know how. They are their with you in the end, regardless of the anger and issues you have with one another they are their with you in the end. Holding his hand, saying good-bye.

You are their when they need you. You help them move under the watchful eye of the law. You uses all your connection and smarts to protect them. You tell your Mother (the one who lied to you, who protects him) that she has to let him grow up. She does this at the wrong time. You (and the Littlest Brother) help him, you get him home and don't leave him in the middle-of-nowhere to rot and thing about how stupid he is. But you remind him every chance you get (keeping the key chain he gave you as a thank you).

You beat him at every game possible, to humble him. You still do, it's a sport. You buy him a hat to mark arrogance and to remind him he isn't always so smart. You see him meet the right girl. You see help him (them) with their wedding. You see him start to understand your littlest brother. You see him move away from everyone he knows. Living alone while his wife finishes school thousands of miles away. You see it hard for him. He worries that he is not there, that you don't tell him things about the health of loved ones to protect him. He still calls you when he doesn't know what to do. You help from afar. You oddly are closer with the miles between you.

He is excited when you become pregnant, happy he is going to be an uncle wanting to be Godfather too. Lobbying for Godfather, using his political knowledge of campaigning to try to reach his goal. You see his competitive nature when it comes to being the favorite uncle. You see him try hard and try even harder with the second. Not wanting them to cry and not wanting to have to pay them a dollar every time they do. You see your son put on sun glasses and say, " I'm Sean!"

You see him turn 30. You realize that he isn't so bad, that you guess that your parents didn't lie so much as they just didn't tell you everything. You see that 5 years wasn't long at all, because 30 years without him would have been so much long (and quieter). You wish him a Happy Birthday and can't wait for the stories of the next 30.

Happy Birthday Little Brother.