Chuck

Today is my older brother's birthday. He is one of the most talented people I know. I didn't realize how good he really was until the siblings worked together and fixed up my parents house after they died. I got to work side by side with him, and relished every moment. I have another brother, David who is just as talented. Together they make quit a team.

When Chuck was little, he had to take me whereever he went. That was when we played and rode our bicycles anywhere we wanted to in town. We just had to be home before dark. I think he resented the fact that his kid sister tagged along. I loved it. I got to go and do things that my mom would never have let me.

There was a constant stream of projects in our house. My brother was forever taking his bike apart, fixing it up and putting it together better than new. His skill in woodworking showed up everytime he had a new girlfriend, when he delicately cut their name out of wood. To this day, he works miracles with wood.

I wish I lived closer to him. He would have to let me tagged along. Not because my mom made him, but because I would beg him to.

He's my hero, my brother, my friend.