I knew you were mine the moment I saw you. Mom tells me that she snuck you into the house the day you came home from the hospital. She tried to hide you from all of us girls, but I heard "you." I didn't understand, and merely followed the sound of your voice, until I came upon "you." Mom tells me I responded with such glee and delight to see you, exclaiming, "BABY!!!" She said from that moment on, "you" were mine.

I remember turning myself into a tomboy so that your friends would accept me, so I could spend more time with you. I remember one snowy day, a boy in our group started picking on you. I happened to have a secret crush on him, but it didn't matter because you were mine. I pushed him to the ground, exclaiming, "No one picks on my brother!"

We used to get in trouble, and Mom would lock us in our rooms. We thought we were clever and cut a hole in my closet that led to your room (a secret passage), so that we could always see each other and play, even when locked in our rooms. We thought our running shoes were magic, making us faster than the other as we raced around. We played 'Spy.' A game we made up, and was played by all four of us. We all generated secret code words and left clues all over the house. Do you remember your code book was found in the wall years later when the house was sold (LOL). Do you remember we were determined to find our own special Fort? Uncle Emmett told us there was a giant hole under the house, so we got Dad's tools and tried to pick up the tiles in my room to create our own passage to the 'hole,' which would become our secret Fort (LOL). When that idea didn't work, do you remember we dug a secret hole under the porch and hid it with a board and dirt so Mom wouldn't find it? But years later, the inspector found it when the house sold, and Mom made us come back to fill it in! (LOL).

When we grew up, I decided to move away to Florida. You followed my car to the Virginia border. We pulled over, hugged each other, and you gave me your dog tags. I kept them with me for years. Everywhere I went, they were with me. Until I realized your social security number was on them :) We pursued our MBAs at the same time. We didn't know it. You found out, and discovered I was having a hard time with the finish line. You supported me through the last leg of the journey. You flew me up so we could celebrate our graduations together. We acted like 12-year-olds during the entire visit, being silly, silly wherever we went.

These are just a few of the memories I carry with me. I know we loved, I know we fought, but never forget, you will always be mine. ckj

                . . . I will miss you every single day