One of my excuses for not making the time to write is that I have taken every opportunity possible to spend time with that brother of mine, on and off the field. Going into this season, we all knew big things were going to happen, and big changes were to come as far as his future in baseball. But I don't think any of us could have predicted the grand slam of events that has occurred over the past 5 months.
For those of you that are 'Facebook official friends' with me, I'm sure your news feed has been bombarded with pictures, stats, newspaper articles, and award announcements. And you are probably also familiar with my dream of being an ESPN sideline reporter, so special thanks to my brother for allowing me to be his personal Erin Andrews these past few months. I don't plan on retiring anytime soon, so take this as your warning if you were annoyed.
Having my best friend home these past 5 weeks has been incredible. (Even if I am a full time student in the bordering state to the North... Who likes summer breaks anyway? Ha.) For the past 18 summers he has spent most nights under the lights at the local ballpark. So naturally, that's where my nights were spent as well when my own athletic/academic/social calendars would allow. But he was finally given a much needed prescription for some R&R. This past season his arm produced 13 starts that all resulted in a W, endless broken records, various awards (National Pitcher of the Year, First Team All-American, First Team-All Conference, etc.), months of recruiting calls, trips all over the country, and phenomenal scholarship offers most baseball players only dream of receiving. So as I eluded to, taking the summer "off" was more than deserved.
However. Being home has been somewhat of a curse, too. The poor guy has been pulled in so many directions by family, friends from all over, and other locals hoping to find their way into his short time back. A strong pull without a doubt came from me as well. Every week became the same: work ahead and study all day so that my weekends were "free" to pack up and head home. While at times very stressful, I wouldn't have it any other way! The memories made have been ones to cherish: days lounging in the pool, rounds on the golf course, time on the water at the lake, gym sessions, dancing away at weddings, nights out at local bars because he finally turned 21 in May, sharing laughs when someone knew all about him and bought him a celebratory drink, only to unfortunately have no idea who that kind individual was after the fact, cheering on little league teams at the park where it all began, and lazy evenings on the patio BBQ'ing, watching sports, or simply enjoying time together as a family.
And throughout all of this time together, it has been amusing to hear friends of mine share their observations about the relationship the two of us share. Most comments have been along the lines of:
"I knew you two were close, but it is so cool to see the way you interact together."
"I'm starting to see the side of him you've always shared stories about, and I love it!"
"What you two have, is what I've always wanted with my siblings. So jealous."
"I've never seen you laugh as hard as I did last night when we were out and you two were together."
Talk about words that warm the heart. Because I don't think I even realized just how unique the bond is between he and I. Truly the best of friends. But I should probably note that as with all things in life, we are far from perfect. In fact, this past weekend (our last together before he moves to Texas) we hit a rocky patch one night. And not just little pebbles, big boulders. Something that hasn't happened in a very long time. When something ends in me not even speaking, we all know thats quite a feat in itself! And it made me sick. Literally ill. Even a round of golf with friends couldn't bring me out of the funk. I couldn't bear the thought of our last weekend stained by such an unfortunate situation. So. It was time for a resolution.
A quick text to him while he was at the lake:
"Ey. Yo. Ky. Hope you're having such a great time! I'm going back tomorrow instead of tonight. So. You and I have a little drive/jam sesh/resolution/peace date later tonight when you're home. Get excited. xo, sista lion"
His response: (which I was so nervous to read!)
"Yo yo Keri. Perfect, I would love to! I'll let you know when I'm headed back. Not much gas left in the boat so it won't be too much longer. See ya soon. Love ya!"
And just like that a weight was already lifted. That evening, we packed a couple beers. Loaded up our dog in the truck. And headed out West to the country. Sitting on the bed of his truck surrounded by corn fields, we watched a storm roll in while playing favorite tunes. We talked about his big move to Texas this week, shared funny stories from the weekend, and most importantly apologized. Made amends. We found peace.
So today, I am feeling extra grateful for my little brother, the rare relationship we have, and the joy he brings to my life. It definitely won't be an easy adjustment come moving day. As I said, having him around has been such a blessing, and now we face more of the curse in having to hug one last time until I hop on a plane and visit Aggieland before rotations begin in August.
Below is a picture we took together last night while sitting on his truck. Here's to an exciting future at Texas A&M. Many more memories. And the reminder that love really does hurt sometimes, but it's nothing an evening together can't fix. Here's to my best friend.
Cheers.
