I hope my brother reads this post:
It was the early 90s. I think 1993, but it might have been early 1994. My brother was moving to a new place and my parents and I went to help. Not having spent much time around him while I was younger, I was enjoying getting to see him.
I had grown a lot over the previous two summers. By that point I was almost 6 feet tall, if not already there. I was around 175 pounds and had been lifting weights and getting stronger. Enter my brother, 10 years my senior. After a fair amount of banter, it was obvious that there would be a wrestling match of some sort that day.
He thought he had me unaware. I was putting down a piece of furniture when he pounced. We were evenly sized. He was older. He was taller. It seemed he might have the advantage. That made the victory of pinning him to the ground much sweeter. I can still remember it well nearly 30 years later.
I am going to assume that he went easy on me that day. He had been through Army Basic. He was a stout guy. Maybe I caught him off guard. Maybe I was stronger than he expected. It doesn’t matter. He doesn’t know it, but I appreciate that moment for reasons I have never expressed.
When I was younger, I didn’t get to see him much. He had moved out by the time I was 7. For the next several years I saw him once in a while. He was living life, trying to figure it all out. He made mistakes along they way, but he kept moving forward. Through hard times he kept going. Even when he felt defeated he kept going. I find that admirable. He is still going in the face of adversity today.
He helped me see my strength that day. It may not have felt like that was happened, but it meant a lot to a younger guy. He could have played dirty. He could have hurt me but he let me have my moment, even when he most likely could have bested me if needed. He was showing a strength that I only later realized. Restraint.
So, if you are reading this…I love you. I am proud to be your brother. You help make me better. I pray I do the same for you. Keep moving forward.
David Willis 