he finally manned up

last week the day finally came. the day i have been waiting for for the last 3 years. and day my parents have been waiting for for the last year. my brother got his mission call.

ok so maybe that was a weird way to preface his call, but it was totally honest. oh im sure he was ready for it too; after all, he has been in limbo for the last few months while he has had to get his dental sorted out and his papers filled out while just workin away at coca cola. but that day was the day that my parents and i all breathed a sigh of relief.

i wont delve into any details but since my brother came home from BYU a year ago he has been working at getting away from the lifestyle and friends that had dragged him down to a bitter, unhealthy, and dangerous place. and it wasnt just a matter of moving home either. he has worked really hard and at times i have been way too hard on him considering the effort he was makin, but i must admit that i was scared that he wasnt totally committed to changing.

granted, getting a mission call or not doesnt define a person. not at all. i know plenty of great guys that i respect that didnt go on missions. but for my brother, it was a sign that he had committed to the changes in his life. i would love my brother regardless, but i think i would be perpetually afraid that his motives for change were simply superficial with nothing to anchor him when times get tough.

i love my brother. he is my best friend, like looking in a mirror (literally hehe). and im so proud of him. not that he is going on a mission necessarily (though i am proud of that) but im proud that he has something that is so important to him that he can hold on to, something that he is willing to better himself for. and i know that the work he has put into his life in the past year will make the next two years of his life even sweeter.

i love you cheechee.