"Here, you go first!" That may be the thing my little brother remembers me telling him most.  I'm not sure how this tiny little drawing got in my Moleskine® pad but, for better or worse, it speaks volumes about my relationship with my little brother. 

When we were young I was the schemer, always coming up with incredible plans for us implement.  He was always the reluctant participant, who had to be coaxed by my carnival barker enthusiasm as to why this time, everything will go as planned and I promised we weren't going to get in trouble.  Rarely did it go as planned and we always got in trouble. 

The amazing thing is that no matter how many times my schemes failed to go as planned and no matter how many times my brother suffered the consequences of my bright ideas, he always supported me.  I'm old enough now to admit that I would have been a very lonely little boy afraid to try anything by myself if it weren't for my little brother who was always willing to support me despite the known risks.  He believed in me because he loved me, no matter how crazy my ideas may have been.

Today his belief in me lives somewhere inside of me in a tiny little hidden pocket that seems to come out to support me whenever I'm about to take the next big step in my life.  Eric, you may be the little brother but you'll always be a big brother to me.  I love you.