Saturday, March 23, 2013

Remembering a Brother, Lost

It's a bittersweet day for me.

I'm an only child but for the first 21 years of my life, I had a pseudo sibling. I've written before about this faux brother of mine who was really a third cousin. He couldn't have been a better brother though if the mother had birthed him herself.

Steve was amazing. He was funny and sweet and just a genuine good guy. All that in spite of the less than stellar deck he was dealt. A diagnosis of chronic nephritis as age 7 after one kidney stopped working and the other all but did the same. He would recover -- miraculously -- after being given just two weeks to live. (He's actually written up in medical journals.)

But, every day of his life for the next 15 years was a huge struggle. And he bore it better than anyone should ever be expected to.

There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of him, and none more so than this week every year. Today is the anniversary of his birth. Next week is the anniversary of his death.

He really was one of the best people I've ever known. Happy birthday, cuz. Know that you are loved and missed always.

2 comments:

Kate H. said...

A sad and glad post, both together. You had Steve as your "faux" brother a relatively short time, but while you had him, you had him. And that is very good.

May the sun shine through the rain in your memories of him.

jeleasure said...

Very good of you to remember him. He must have been a special person. In my life, I have had four cousins pass. One I lived with but, for some reason, just did not forge the type of relationship you did with your cousin.
Congratulations on having such a fond relationship. And my sympathy for the loss.
Jim