Safe and Sound

So today is Veteran's Day. My big brother Dan is a Veteran and since he already thinks I have Velveeta Cheese running through my veins, I won't care if he hates this post. (like he even reads this blog anyway).

Dan has always been big and strong and a little sceeery.

When we were kids he would simply give me the "sideway snarl" and I would pee my pants.

He was always causing mischief.
If he wasn't getting in trouble for kicking his Kindergarten teacher,

he was getting scolded for teasing me.

If there had been 'time out' back then, he would have permanent seat marks on his behind.

Dan would like everyone to think he's a scary grizzly bear. But he's more like "Grumpy, Reluctantly Protective Care Bear".

One of my earliest memories of Dan involved the school bus and him being kicked off said school bus. He got into a fight and the bus driver gave him the boot. Like a scene from a bad after school special, I looked out the back window of the bus, 1st grade fingers against the window as I watched my brother kick the bus as it drove away and he had to walk home.

This was the first time I remember Dan 'protecting' me. He probably doesn't even remember but the fight was about me. A stinky boy had made fun of me and hurt my feelings. I don't know if Dan felt protective of me or was just mad that somebody other than him had made me cry.

When I was about 10 he found out that I was madly in love with Jimmy Jeppson. He teased me about every other second and would try to embarass me whenever he could. But...he always seemed to make sure I was invited to things that he knew Jimmy would be at.

My Sophmore year of High School, I had the privelidge and honor of riding to school with Dan in his very cool red and white pickup truck. I thought Dan was the coolest thing ever with his football and basketball friends. And while I thought Dan was awesome, he didn't quite feel the same about me and would park the truck in the corner of the parking lot and make me walk either ahead of him or behind him into school.

Of course, this only lasted until he realized that I had super cute friends and then I became somewhat tolerable and was included in activities where his friends were. When one of those cute friends (with a somewhat sketchy rep) started flirting with me, he put a stop to it quickly by informing said friend that I was "Off Limits!!" I'm sure this friend had no interest in me but I knew that my brother was watching out for me and my little sophmore girl feelings.

There were many times when he would try to be tough. One time he kicked me and my friend Melissa out of his truck because we were being "annoying". We started walking home in the dark and got really scared when we saw headlights following behind us in the distance. We thought for sure it was someone going to 'get us'. We found out later it was Dan following us to make sure we got home okay. Big softy.

After High School, Dan joined the Army. He was our Citizen Soldier. He joined at the 'safest time ever' the army recruiter said. Soon after, he was in Saudi Arabia. He always says, "It was no big deal" and that "I was never in any real danger". I don't care what he says, anyone who would willingly go to another country where bombs and guns are in the hands of people who want to hurt you, all to protect complete strangers....that's a special kind of brave.

Dan was always a teensy bit intimidating and I think he may have acted that way on purpose so that we would always do what he said. But his jig was up when I saw him holding his little newborn son and when I heard him singing "Itsy Bitsy Spider" to his little girl. I knew that it had been an act the whole time. His cover was blown.

Dan is a great father and husband and an amazingly hard worker. He is super smart at everything and he speaks Italian. How cool is that?

He's one of those people that doesn't say a lot but what he says is intelligent and worthwhile.

I knew that I could marry Greg when Dan gave me his approval.

Although his hugs and "I love you's" are rare, they are completely sincere and etched into your memory forever.

I think he is such a good person. And I am so proud to say that I'm his sister.

And he can make fun of me forever, but he will receive a "Happy Veteran's Day" phone call from me every year. Love you.

Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for another.
It's one thing to protect and die for those you love. But these soldiers do it for people they will never know. People who disrespect and abuse their freedoms. People who take it for granted.

I cannot express how much love and respect I have for these men and women and their families who sacrifice so much for a country full of people who will skip over this day without much more thought than that it's a Wednesday.

I'm such a sucker for Veterans. You can count of me crying and standing when the Vets go by in the parade. Whether in War or peacetime, I think these are the bravest people ever. And the funny thing is, they're probably all a little like Dan. A big teddy bear trying to come across as Grizzlies.

I hope we all (no matter what our political views are) remember them and what they do every day for us.

Here's to feeling protected.

Happy Veteran's Day.