As I'm wiping tears away from my eyes...

I said goodbye to Chris for the next 7 months on the phone. As I'm wiping tears, I'm thinking of all the fun childhood memories we have shared.

*washing his hair with bubble solution

*putting girl panties on him and a fake long, blonde hair piece with a big pink bow and him running down the hall (this was just last month...just kidding! more like when he was probably 3 or 4).

*our babysitter, Cheryl, putting my hair in pigtails and him getting jealous that she was doing my hair and so she put his little blonde curls in one little pigtail and called him Chrissy.

*giving our cats, Peaches and Sprinkles, birthday parties consisting of little cups of cat food and/or treats.

*bouncing on one of the air mattresses that Grandma and Grandpa used to sleep on when they stayed at the house--by bouncing, I mean me falling on the mattress while Chris is on the other end and when I fall, it catapults Chris up in the air, over between the chairs that used to be next to the window in the bonus room.

*the home video of me and Chris playing with play dough with Grandma Brown and him sneezing one of his snot bubble sneezes into the yellow dough.

*not a pleasant memory but the time when I accidentally left him at the middle school after my band practice was over...I still think about that time and feel extremely remorseful for my foolish teenage ways.

*staying late at night at the florist with our sleeping bags watching old sitcoms on the black and white radio tv and making box forts. We also slept in the boxes.

*the many screaming fights we had and mom yelling, "DON'T MAKE ME COME UP THERE!!!"

*Screaming laughter and wrestling that took place many times in the bonus room.

*playing war/guns/legos with our next door neighbors.

*jumping on the trampoline.

*Chris's zipline.

*Chris shooting a squirrel by accident with an arrow.

*making vomit burp sounds at Nana's.

*Chris's rubbery dance moves.

Those are just a few for now. I'm sure I'll think of more later. I just hope my little brother is kept safe over there in that other world. We need him to come back safe and sound. I need my baby brother to come back. I want him to have a happy, long life after this commitment he's made. The people of the United States truly appreciate the sacrifices these Marines (as well as other servicemen and women) will be making. People here can complain all they want about their "lack of freedom" but it's only here in the US that we can feel safe and feel free from torture/punishment for voicing our opinions. Without our military, who knows where we'd be. Probably we'd be in the same place as those poor civilians over there in Aghanistan/Iraq/Iran/Pakistan...etc.. We are extremely lucky. I am extremely lucky to have a brother who is willing to do this for our family and for the people in this country. I'm proud. But at the same time, a bit selfish when I say that I wish he didn't have to do this but it's something he wants to do and who am I to stand in his way? All I am is an older sister who wants her little brother safe at all costs.


I love you, Lance Corporal Christopher Brown. Come back to us in seven months--burps and vomit sounds, included.