Sunday Family Funday - My Brother

So I was trying to figure out what to write for Sunday Family Funday from yesterday and this post came to me today while walking home from class.
My brother, Michael, and I never had a bad, horrible relationship. (Although there was that Christmas that he hit me on the head with his new toy guns. And there was that time when Erin and I put him in a dress in order for him to get his beloved blankey back - Uncle Glenn's suggestion.) Just not one that we talked much during. Usually I only heard from him when the family would get together. But I always kept tabs on him on Facebook to make sure that everything was going okay for him.
There was one time when he actually reached out to me and it really touched me. I had just got "dumped" (I always hated that term) by my boyfriend of 5.5 years, of course I am devastated (and eventually would fall into complete depression and alcoholism), but the day or two after it happened, my phone rang and it said "Mike" with a picture of him and our big fat cat, Leo. I answered it, trying to stifle my tears and cries which never ended during the first couple of weeks. "Hey, Kate. Mom told me about what Brandon did to you. I'm really sorry he did that. I know you must be sad. I hope you're doing okay. It'll all be okay." And that was the extent of our conversation. But for my brother, that was the biggest thing I remember him doing up to that point and it meant more to me than anything anyone did for me during that break up.
The next time that he showed an extra, "abnormal" amount of affection for me was when I got my shit together after Brandon and started dating a new guy - Tom. This wasn't reaching out to me, but for me. He went to my mom when he found out who I was dating and told her - "You can't let Kate date Tom. Whatever you do, don't let her." And I think my mom, for the most part, just brushed this off. Although she was always trying to point out things to me that would (she was hoping) set me to break up with him (which I did twice before it ended "for real"), she never mentioned this comment from Mike to me until after she knew Tom and I were broken up for good. This time it was my own "dumping", I was the one that dumped, instead of was dumped upon. But it was still hard - I don't like hurting anyone and I knew how fragile Tom was at that point, whether he wanted to admit it or not. I worried for him, which was the reason why I took him back the first time.
After that it would be another year or two (I forget how long it's been) when I'd have my next "wow" Mike moments. These all happened in reference to his new girlfriend, Hailey. (This information I found out months later when she told me at Thanksgiving last year.) When he brought her to meet us for the first time, he told her that his "sisters" (plural) had to like her, if we didn't then he couldn't date her. This might not seem big to you, but it should. For my brother to include me in this is huge. He's always gotten along way better with Erin, our older sister, so I was expecting him to need her approval, but not mine. This caught me pleasantly off-guard. I love him for including me in that, made me feel appreciated and loved in a minimal relationship. In this same conversation with Hailey, we were randomly talking and somehow I mentioned something about Brandon and she said "oh yeah, Michael warned me about that. He said 'Yeah, we don't talk about that.'" This was so sweet and tender, I almost wish I could have spied on him at that moment. I love him for thinking of me and my feelings - even if it was 2 years later.
The next moment was this last Christmas, when my mom said that he went and did his own Christmas gift shopping and picked out all the gifts for people on his own. I could tell that he really put some thought into mine. To some people it would be basic gifts and no thought at all, but for Mike I think there was a lot of thought in it. This was my first year in Idaho, of course. What he got me: a gift certificate for Barnes & Noble - he knows my love and infatuation for books - and a picture frame that says Home. While I loved the Barnes & Noble gc, I loved the picture frame even more because it showed more thought I think.
This has all come about because of the last "Mike" moment - for now. This morning he sent me a text message and asked me if I could revise his paper, "but the thing is it's due tomorrow morning". This was great. I don't remember him ever asking me to read over any of his papers, even though I always offered. And this wasn't even my mom pushing him to do it. She said he called her and asked for my number. While it added on to my already burdening load of work to do this week. I told him I absolutely would. And did, after class. This was great on so many levels because not only did it show that he actually, at least kind of, cares about his grades now (or at least for this class, and this project), and I think he is finally ready to be done with college, but it also shows that he finally wants my opinion on something school related. He has never acknowledged this before. And it feels great.
I love him like I'd love any brother, even though he's my only brother. I love him to pieces and would do anything to help him. I am also so PROUD of who he's become. He's a gentleman, a great boyfriend (according to Hailey), and a great person in general. He's awesome. and I really hope he reads this and knows how much I love him and wouldn't ask for another brother. I love you, Michael!