My Brothers

I was 20 years old when my third baby brother was born. Davey came along just as I was trying to decide if I should keep on living there or move out. It was even more awkward for me to carry baby Davey around public without everyone thinking that I was his mother. Unlike the other 2 baby brothers I was younger so they didn't always think I was the mother. Now it happened every time I carried Davey and I was actually old enough to be his mother! It usually freaked out most people (even some of my closest friends) that I had an infant baby in my arms when I walked around. Most all of my time, my focus was now on my job or my church activities. I found myself much busier, gone from home all the time. In fact everything was different in our family when Davey came along. I knew deep down that I couldn't stay home to watch him reach 18 years old, before I started living my own life. The other brother I grew up with, Derek, soon took over watching out for our little guys. It was really hard on me to know we had this newborn baby in the family but I wasn't around that much anymore. Perhaps Davey was sent to be a pleasant distraction to our parents over the fact time had shifted, everything changed for them. I did get use to everyone thinking Davey was my very own baby and when I overheard someone say "She is way to young to already have a baby!" I would nod fully in agreement along with a confident smile because I wanted to reply back. "BELIEVE ME, I know I am way to young to be a mother!"  Instead I wondered how strange it was to have 2 full decades between me and my last brother. I am closer in age to some of my aunts then my own siblings! It doesn't matter where I go or who I talk to now days, for when they learn I am 20 years older then my little brother they are shocked! And I often joke around that I am not trying to hide anything he really is my actual brother from the same set of parents. I truly love all four of my brothers, yet it does feel so different to not actually be growing up along side the youngest one. I often thought Davey has it better being born last in line, when our parents are now older and wiser, then I realized he doesn't have all the same memories that I have gathered being the first in line. Maybe he will have a much better life with more opportunities. For there are really great perks to being the baby of the family, He would wink back at ya because he is clever enough to know and agree!

Derek, Dana and I were laughing at one of our parent's BBQ summer evenings just a few years ago, Daren, Dougie and Davey sat listening to us carefully. We shared our funny stories then laughed together. Suddenly Davey stood up with his hands on his hips stating "WHERE WAS I?!?!?" We all stop to stared at him, for this was a young very smart 8 year old boy, then we all burst out laughing again as Derek shook his head at our littlest brother "You weren't born yet, sorry little man." Davey sighed helplessly "WHY does all the good stuff happen before I was even born?!?" I smiled thoughtfully looking at him knowing how he must feel so left out sometimes, because the whole world had changed on the day he was born.