my baby brother

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My baby brother turns 40 in three weeks. For almost three years now we have been travelling parallel universes.

The week my sister and brother-in-law rescued me from being stranded in Chicago and brought me home, my little brother was released on parole. He is an alcoholic, as was my older brother, as was our father. He had been in and out of jail and/or prison his whole adult life due to DWI and PI charges.

That first week of September 2004, we both began a new life. A new journey. His release brought about a short-lived "freedom" mentality where he once again was drinking. At one point, he almost bit off his tongue due to a severe reaction. The alcohol was killing him according to the ER doc that tried to bring his blood pressure down. One sip at a time.

It will be almost two years since his last drink. He goes to his AA meetings religiously and mentors others who are beginning new again. Yesterday he told me it was humbling to go back to the halfway house where he stayed and made that solid commitment to stay sober. The men there were asking him all those questions that he asked initially of those before him. He loves being an example of what can happen good in a life -- when you think you're too far gone. He tells them it's all about letting go. It's all about not deciding. It's all about acceptance.

When I became homeless what seems like ages ago -- I had lost all hope. I thought my life was over. I was ready to die. The darkest period in my life is when I lost my children. I didn't believe I would survive. I never dreamed I would once again thrive. Though our situations of how we had come to that darkest day were different -- our headspace was the same. We were starting over... separate but at the same time.

In the last two and a half years, my brother and I have held several jobs. It seems every time I move up or change jobs, so does he... and vice versa. Twice now it's been almost down to the same day. When he was getting his first apartment, I was moving into my first rental home. When I was able to finally get dependable transportation -- within months so did he. Everything in our lives seemed to be happening to both of us at the same time. He just moved this past month and here I am moving again. It is all so surreal.

On the phone last night, he reminisced about his birthday last year. He was doing all the right things but was still lonely. The job he had wasn't the one he has now. The life he wanted seemed far off... out of reach.

God has given him a stable, good paying job. God has brought a wonderful woman into his life to love and to love him. God has given him a home to live in that is filled with peace and happiness. He is content.

He said last night it amazes him how much he's grown and how wonderful his life is today. He said the confirmations affirmed him in so many ways. Let go and let God... that's what he's done. Everything becomes easy when you do. Everything happens for a reason... in the proper order... in the right season.

I am so very proud of my baby brother. Very proud. He has become a man.