If Christian was here…….

Everyday in our home you will hear the words “If Christian was here……” at least once.  “If Christian was here the boat would be fixed” …. “If Christian was here that wouldn’t have ever happened” …. “There would have been some good stories to tell if Christian was here…”  One thing I know for certain, if Christian was here he would have gotten up at an unseemly hour for a Saturday morning, gone to Alexa’s room, given her a wet willy after putting her in some wrestling choke hold and then flopped back on her bed with a box of cereal in one hand and the remote in the other and proceeded to watch Gossip Girl or Vampire Diaries or whatever teen angst ridden show Alexa was watching at the time.  At some point Christian would have won the argument over breakfast choice of Waffle House vs. Kewanee One Stop and they would have gone in pajama pants and tshirts to pig out on their favorite meal of the day.  Two peas in a pod.  One older and becoming wiser…. the other younger and trying to be just like her big brother …….. like she had done since she was old enough to walk.

I am sure Alexa would give Christian a hard time about losing the secret sibling bet they had made years ago.  He would grin and say “That’s one bet I’m glad I lost.”  And in his best big brother voice start giving her the birthday lecture…… because today is her 18th birthday.

No one can say for sure what words of wisdom he would pass on to his little sister.  The sister he had taught to ride a dirt bike, how to drive the beat up VW bug in the pasture when she couldn’t see over the steering wheel, the brother who lectured her about “not making the same mistakes as me”, the brother who had warned boys away, who had let her tag along on dates, who was there to rescue her on more then one occasion. I am sure there were a lot more stories and secrets between the two that their mother would never know about.  Two peas in a pod….. one a protector the other a willing follower with hero worship written all over her face.

I think Christian would tell her to make her own path, don’t follow his or anyone else’s.  To stand up for people and things you believe in, but don’t let people take advantage of you in the process.  To not worry about what people say… because they are always going to say somethin’. 🙂  If you are going to do something do it right.  And when people tell you you can’t…. that’s when you show them you can.  To live life at full throttle because what’s the fun in being idle.  To laugh often, cry less because at the end of the day…….. it is what it is…

But most importantly he would end the lecture like he ended every phone call and with the words he said most days walking out the door….. Love ya’

So Magnolia son would like to say HAPPY 18th BIRTHDAY to Christian’s baby sister.  We wish her a good life made up of extraordinary moments, great memories made with family and friends and much happiness.  Don’t lose that audacious spirit that keeps life interesting.

Christian would say “Happy Birthday Sister…. wish I was there, but don’t ever forget I will always be your big brother, your best friend and now your guardian angel…..Love ya’ Lex… ”