The Day I Became An Aunt

..for the first time was July 27, 1991. I was pretty self-absorbed. I was deeply in love with who would later become my first husband. My parents were about to move to Hawaii. My brother announced to the family at Christmas that he's having a baby.



He wasn't married. They weren't planning on getting married. But they were having a baby.



At the time, I was amazed. That lasted about two hours, at most. Then it was all about me again.



Had you told me that the following five years I would've learned to love that kid like he was my own, I wouldn't have believed you.



I didn't want kids.



I couldn't imagine That Kind of Love.



But, it came to me -- The Love and The Kid.



As he embarks on his 18th birthday, I feel still even MORE love for him. I can feel this push inside my chest. The love just shoves out. My physical body cannot bound it.



I cannot believe that he's 18.



Happy birthday, Lil A.
I love you.