Today Greg would have celebrated his 56th birthday, and I cannot help but think of and miss him. I’ve spent countless moments thinking of my brother since the phone call I received from my sister in February 2010 informing me of Greg’s sudden passing. I’ve spent endless hours looking at photos of him, and one of the things I realized was that alot of them were of the two of us––that we were linked so closely, especially in childhood.

There exist hundreds of photographs that tell the story of my brother’s life. You see a happy baby and a boy with a lovely, innocent smile. You see a young man searching for himself as well as a rebellious teenager. You also see a happy contented partner and loving father.

We’re all destined to the same fate and, unfortunately, my brother left this world much too early. I only hope and pray that he had a good, fulfilling, and eventful life and that it was all worth the adventure of it. I also hope that his three kids understand that their father left a legacy as well as loving memories that Ashley, Alex, and Nick can take with them throughout their own lives.

Greg and I had a bond that is like no other relationship I’ve ever had. We grew up together and went through the typical brotherly love and hate. As we got older and pre-occupied with our own adult issues and concerns, our relationship became more distant. Nevertheless, the relationship remained important to us. I loved seeing him and hearing stories of our childhood and his depictions of the myriad characters involved.

I’m sad to know that Greg is gone from this world, but he’ll always be my brother. I’ll be pleased living out the rest of my own life knowing this.