Birth Month - Day 23

Is anyone else like me in that the day after a birthday is such a let down?  You realize you have to wait another 364 days for it to be all about you again.  I'll have 364 more days until I dread another missed birthday.  But on the flip side, Andrew will have had another 364 days in heaven - although there really is no measure of time there.

In searching through some old posts, I found this birthday note Andrew sent to Matt when Matt turned 21.

Now what you have to understand is that when these men were just boys I thought for sure one of them would kill the other (specifically Matt would pound Andrew into the ground).  I still remember how mad Matt would get and Andrew could always push those buttons.  They each knew how to instantly anger the other.  Oh I prayed many days for them to get to the point they were friends instead of enemies.  It happened shortly after Matt left for college.  With him gone, Andrew was man of the house.  When they didn't see each other every day, they appreciated each other when they did.  They had new things to talk about, Andrew hanging on every college experience Matt told him about.  Matt even had Andrew spend a weekend at the frat house - where Andrew won beer pong (and yes, he was playing with Gatorade).  An easy win when you are the only one not drunk!

Anyway, I am so thankful they got to the point of being friends.  They talked sports, politics, girls, and video games.  They talked about future careers, what they would do with lottery winnings, what to get me for birthdays and Christmases.  I'm also sure they talked about some things I don't want to know they talked about.

Bottom line, they were friends, fiercely loyal to each other despite the early years that seemed full of sheer hatred.  So parents of boys or multiple children who fight - stay the course, remain strong, and remind them of how cool it will when they are adults and become friends.