When your younger brother turns 30, you start thinking a little bit…
Fuck… he is getting older.
And that means… I am also getting older. Pfff. 😭😂
But honestly, when I look at my brother now and compare him to how he was 10 years ago, the change is HUGE.
He has been living with a chronic disease for a long time. When there was no other option, he got a stoma. And yes, his health finally became better, but mentally… it was a completely different story.
Imagine being in your twenties and suddenly having a bag on your body. Your confidence can disappear pretty quickly.
And my brother? He didn't show it. From the outside, he looked strong and happy. But inside, his mind was falling apart. He had to learn how to live with it, and more importantly, he had to teach his own mind to accept it.
And honestly… I didn't notice.
He was playing the game very well. But with time, he finally admitted that he didn't want people to know that he would have this bag for the rest of his life. We talked about it. A LOT. 😂
And slowly, he became more confident. He started talking about it with his friends, even with my friends. He started realizing that his life actually became better in many ways. His body had more energy. He could eat and drink whatever he wanted. And most importantly, he didn't have to constantly run to the toilet.
He is honestly sunshine in our life. ☀️
His positive energy, his way of never showing weakness, and the way he learned to live with everything taught me so much.
We are both strong, but he showed me another kind of strength. He taught me how to live with chronic disease and, somehow, made me stronger too.
And now we can finally talk openly about everything.
And I am so freaking proud of him. ❤️
We can laugh about it. We can make jokes. We don't have to feel bad or uncomfortable anymore.
Which brings me to this weekend. 😂
His birthday was Saturday, but me and my husband came on Friday because obviously…
we wanted to be there at midnight and be the FIRST ones to congratulate him!
We were playing games, talking, laughing and waiting for him to officially become 30 so we could start making jokes about his first grey hairs and how he can't party like he did a few years ago. 😂
At around 7:30 p.m., I left to visit a friend and told them I'd be back in an hour.
I came back…
His girlfriend was sitting alone in the living room.
Where the hell is my brother?!
Apparently, a few minutes after I left, he went to sleep.
At 7:30 p.m.! Because he had ONE beer. 😂😂 I was like… Ohhh baby brother, you are fucked. There is NO WAY I am letting you sleep before your 30th birthday!
We tried waking him up. He wasn't amused and basically sent us out of the room. 😂 Fine.
So we decided to let him sleep until 1 a.m. and then wake him up with singing and A LOT of balloons. And we did.
He woke up, we congratulated him… …and then he went straight back to sleep.
WHAT?! 😂😂😂
Apparently, turning 30 really is exhausting. He didn't want a party. He didn't want to stay awake all night.
He just wanted lunch with the family. And after FOUR HOURS with us, he already wanted to go home. 😂😂
Yep. My little brother is officially 30.
And now I have unlimited permission to make fun of him because apparently his body is already telling him:
“Being thirty is hard.” 😂😂
I love you with all my heart, bro. ❤️
Happy 30th birthday! 🎂
Now go get some sleep, old man. 😂
With love, @tinabrezpike ❤️
