My Best Friend: A Gift from my Brother
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My Best Friend:
A Gift from my Brother
Its interesting after a death how much changes in your life. The most significant is how people change in your life. My relationship to my best friend has grown and changed to a thing of beauty.
There is certainly one thing about a Mexican family you cannot deny, besides the fact that they are big, they surely know how to come together. The day we all found out my brother had passed, it was a frenzy.
My mom was called several times by my young nephew saying that my brother would not wake up. My mom didn't understand; my nephew did not understand. So it was my nephew's mother who showed up at the house and found the two of them. It was his mother who called my mother and gave her the worst news a mother could ever receive.
No one could quite figure out what happened to my brother. He was young, only 36. He wasn't that overweight. He didn't look anymore unhealthy than most other people around his age. He was a pretty much normal all American kid. For him to drop dead at such a young age, we were all in utter shock.
Stand in Solidarity
It was the early afternoon on the final Sunday of July 2016. My mom showed up at my brothers home and was met by a barrage of police officers. She was than shortly met by my father, and then little by little our family started to show up. They showed up to stand in solidarity with my parents. They showed up as a wall of support. They were simply just there.
A lot of dear family and friends showed up the next two weeks. They showed up with hugs, tears, and so much food. I may not be painting the picture quite as well as I should. When I say my family showed up...what I mean to say is we had over 50 people over nightly. People came from far and wide. It was a unbelievable site to behold.
My gift from Gabe through all of this family, was a gift that utterly fulfills me. You see Gabe was my only sibling. He was truly the first person after my parents that I fell in love with. When I lost him the feeling of foreboding took over. I was scared to be alone in this world without him; to have to take on 3 parents all my own. Yes, I am happily married and we are a team. There is just something that happens when you lose your only sibling. A part of you is literally lost. Like a limb you didn't know you had, but that you totally need.
Little Sister
With his loss 1 of my most favorite people really stepped into this space in my heart that cannot be explained. My 'little sister' she is truly amazing! The most wonderful person you might ever meet. She is my cousin on my dad's side. My God sister through baptism and is my sister through choice. We had the great opportunity of living together while we grew up. She lived with us a few different times from the time she was young. She was always meant to be my little sister. She loved Gabe like I do. She lost a brother that day too. We mourned together. We grieved the same loss.
My Best Friend
Our relationship has evolved and grown into this deeply rooted tree. You see the branches and the fruit which are beautiful. The roots though are deep and magnificent, they feed the tree from the inside, they give life. The roots give life.
My life is made richer to have Marilyn walk through this journey with me. She pushes me. She makes me better. She loves me unconditionally. She is my little sister, my best friend, a part of my soul. Cheers to my Soul Sister and another Gift from Gabe.
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