Ive been thinkin about the moment I would write this since I got the text message and subsequent phone calls on Sunday. Nothing in life prepares someone for this moment right here, this moment of saying goodbye. As a counselor, I help teenagers deal with loss, pain, and struggle all the time, but Im realizing Im no good at taking my own advice. Shit, I dont even know what advice I would give myself right now. I do know that I have a massive vault of memories with you that have all come flooding back over the last few days. When we were kids and mom babysat you and your sisters, we were quite possibly the best quarterback/running back tandem in the world. And when we tried to dig to China in the sandbox, we were sure we would see Beijing at any moment. When I was a freshman, and for some reason got put into my first varsity football game without having ever played in a game before, you grabbed my face mask in the huddle and told me Mitch, you got this. Everyone in this huddle knows you got this (I think we both know you were lying, but I appreciated the effort). When I was a freshman and trying to date a popular senior girl, you gave me advice on how to talk to her, how to approach her locker amongst all the senior guys, what to buy her for a gift, and you always made me feel like I was safe from getting my head dunked in a toilet (I still appreciate that bro). You used to come and pick me up and take me with you to girls volleyball and basketball games. When we got back downtown, you would give me a beer or two, I would feel like the baddest dude in the town, and then would go home and hope mom wouldnt get close enough to smell the Coors. We used to get told we looked like brothers, and we always responded with we are. That worked to my advantage when I got to college and in true older brother fashion, you gave me not only your drivers license, but also an old college ID of yours. I used those to perfection from the years 18-20, even going into the same bars as you and using the same ID. I finally had them taken away the week before I turned 21 (sorry about that dude), but they had seen lots of use. I finished college as you started your career as a School Counselor. I followed in your footsteps and became a School Counselor myself, because I knew you were great at it and if my older brother was great at it, there was no doubt I would be, too. We talked multiple times this year at work, Counselor Moen, Counselor Paulson here. Every time, your voice would instantly perk up as you said hey bud, how you doing?! when you realized it was me on the line. You could yell at me to throw strikes and tell me the ump sucked at the same time. You wanted to win the tournament championship and the beer trophy at once (sadly, we won far more of the latter in our Bygd Precision days). You loved country music but would come and watch me rap on stage bc you loved me and it made you proud to see me successful, not because you particularly liked (or could understand) the rap music I make. You would tell us we need to drive the basket and rebound at the alumni tournament every year, even though you knew I was only there to chuck 3s and try to score 30 a game (sorry you wont be a part of one of our championships, but some year we will get one). Ive looked up to you and followed in your footsteps for 31 years. Now, youre gone. But I promise to strive to be as good of a counselor as you were. I promise to love my family as much as you love yours. And I promise to never forget how enormous of an impact youve had on my life. We love you bud, so much. Thank you for being you, and thank you for being the brother I didnt have growing up. See you on the moon, I love you. Mitchy.
Posted on: Fri, 30 May 2014 03:54:08 +0000
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