I’m a girl that’s blessed with great friends. Both IRL and ITC! 
But I’d like to take a minute and talk about the first best friend that God blessed me with… my lil’ brudder, J:
Korea 1980s
We were born exactly 21 months apart. I revel in the months of May ~ Aug, when we are numerically only “1 year apart.” LOL makes me feel young? Anyway, after our move to the states, we were only a grade apart in school. So, naturally, we grew up being best friends. We were latch key kids together, we made forts, roller bladed together; and to be honest with you – that year in Kindergarten when my brother wouldn’t talk at school? I was the only one he’d converse with (in English – his teacher thought he didn’t speak the language, but it was an emotional/social adjustment.)
We also fought a lot and used “swearing” as bait to make each other “servants,” instead of ratting each other out to our parents.
Fast forward to HS years, when my brother was the angelic son and I turned into the devil teenager. (In hindsight, I wasn’t all that bad persay…) But I did put my brother through a lot of crap that “big sisters,” shouldn’t do to their younger siblings! Anyway - we loved each other too much not be get through that stage of life. Moved onto college and I went back to being his caretaker, dropping off pizzas at his dorm to make sure he was eating right? LOL, giving him dating advice, and giving him rides, etc.
(J’s College Grad day May 2007)
Through it all, he’s been my rock. (I partially knew DH was “the one,” because he was the only MAN, J ever approved of~) He’s been my spiritual role model at times I consciously fell away from God and is probably the number one influence for why I was able to find my faith again. I think that’s a rare quality that a younger brother can offer his older sister. And I love him that much more for it.
(He hates dancing, but danced for me! And our parents in the background, staring in shock, wondering where we learned our moves, because they certainly never danced back in the day! 
)
Don’t get me wrong, we’re totally stereotypical siblings. To this day, when we fight (rarely now), we fight like any two stubborn, strong-headed siblings would; but at the end of the day – I love him more than life itself and I wouldn’t be the woman/wife I am today without him having been the best lil brudder in my life (and in my opinion, the world.)
J is all grown up now. He lives in NYC and I only get to see him (not counting google hangout) a few times during the year. I actually haven’t seen him since Thanksgiving 2011. But, he’s home for the next couple of weeks (visitng family and serving at our home church’s summer youth camp) and I can’t wait to spend as much time with him as possible.
I only hope that our future babies have the bond that my brudder and I share to this day and forever.<3
(and yes — I am crying writing this entry.)
