My Zuggy Boy

Do I have a lot of family with birthdays? Yes, I do. And I am grateful for all of them.

Today, my middle brother celebrates his birthday. He was born when I was old enough to help with babies, and young enough to not realize it was a blessing and a gift to be in big family. I think I was in third grade. He was my pet. I am pretty sure I hogged him from the rest of the family, because my name was the first word he learned. It was my idea the time we convinced our friends that he was our little cousin, Jessica.

I remember, when he was a toddler, the night he was sick and throwing up and feverish. My mom had just had another baby and my dad was away on business, and so I stayed up with him all night, and cleaned him up and held him and paced the living room. My mom let me stay home from school the next day.

He was my Zuggy Boy. It has always been my nickname for him, until I had kids who couldn't pronounce his name properly, effectively giving him a whole list of rather twee nicknames.

I love him. I have worried about him, prayed for him, laughed with him, hugged him, nagged him, and learned from him. I am definitely very thankful for him. He has a great heart, and he is a good uncle and a one-in-a-million brother.

What are you blessed with today?