Monday, March 7, 2011

Jonathan's Birthday

My late brother Jonathan was born on March 7th.  I have two brothers and he was my first.  My mom had remarried when I was 11 and I was ecstatic to have a new dad (I called my father "father" for a reason).  When Jonathan was born I was thrilled.  I was barely a teenager, just 14 and I would get made when people thought I was his mother.  My brother David was born when I was 20 and in college.  I taught Jonathan to read when he was three.  I taught him to play Dungeons & Dragons, which is why I broke my toe three days before my first marriage (long story!).  He taught me how to use my computer when I got one and knew more about Apples & Macs than many adults when they first came out.  We talked a lot on the phone when he was in high school.

Jonathan loved babies.  When he was two, if he saw a baby he would coo and go, "Bay-bee!!"  I couldn't wait until he got married and had children of his own.  On August 10th 1993 I had my daughter Jennifer.  She was premature and came home on my birthday 9 days later.  Jonathan went down to Florida to attend New College.  My last picture of him is holding Jennifer at Christmas.  He fell asleep at the wheel going back to college, went off the side of the road and ran into a tree just before the trooper was about to pull him over.  I had made him promise to stop and take a nap if he felt sleepy.  He was late to school because of a car breaking down twice.  Corwyn never got to meet his uncle Jon.  Jon won't get to see his niece graduate this year.  I won't have nieces and nephews by him.

I miss him.