April 3, 2007

  • My Brother, Rich

    I have an adopted (or "foster") family that helped raise me when my own family's problems became impossibly overwhelming and living in their house was unbearable at times. 

    Besides Mom & Dad, there's Michael (Downs Syndrome and sweet as he can be); Penelope (talented opera diva, quilt maker, and basically successful at anything she attempts); Bill (talented trumpet player & music teacher and a super sensitive guy); I'm sandwiched in next (the religious, Okie cast off); then there is Nancy (Masters degree in teaching special ed, the one who's taught me the most by her living example, and to whom I'm the closest); and finally the baby, Rich (another great trumpet player who holds an awesome business day job).

    Rich won't fit into a parenthesis today, because I've chosen to write about him.  He was the youngest child and only a little boy when I came into the family.  He was 7 or 8 years old, so skinny you could see his heart beating through his bare chest, sported a head of gorgeous thick dark brown hair, and VERY opinionated.  He played the trumpet and already held his own with the high school and college musicians.  He also was a ball player and I remember how he could pitch a rock across the street to the top of the water tower which climbed about 92 million miles into the sky. 

    Born with perfect pitch (Mom said he was around a year old when she heard him singing "Skip to My Lou" in his crib without missing a note) and he possesses the most beautiful whistle.  He was actually hired to whistle "Sweet Georgia Brown" for a television commercial a few years back.

    I've said for years and years that Rich is the nicest man I've ever known.  I've told that to everyone who asks me about my family or asks me, "Where are all of the nice guys?"  He's grown into a handsome man, has tediously finished his college education with a great degree, and still moonlights playing trumpet with "big-time" artists.  As busy as he is, he takes the time to visit me when I sporadically go to California and he always has something nice to say and a warm hug; which makes our short visits memorable!

    Sure he has had his share of goof-ups and problems, but the warmth and kindess he's ALWAYS shown me has made me overlook the short comings.

    He has a keen sense of humor and could easily be a comedian!  I love listening to him banter with my other siblings.  The funniest thing I remember him ever saying was when his (beautiful, I mean gorgeous!!) school teacher wife mentioned there was an overwhelming amount of Asian children in her new fall class.  She read the student roll list to Rich and the name "Wong" appeared repeatedly.  She said, "Oh!  Here's a child with the name White!"  Rich, without missing a beat, quipped, "Yeah, but two Wongs don't make a White!"

    His beautiful wife is now a vice principal of a school (due to tediously completing HER degree).  He has two sons & a daughter - all gifted.  I've heard, they live in a gorgeous home.  He's done very well for himself and keeps VERY busy - but, like I said, he always takes a little bit of time for me.  I love him for that.

    I felt the most sorry for him when he went without a shirt in the sun (still as a young child) and burned horribly.  Once the fever and chills passed, and he was finally itching and wanting to peel his back, my youngest sister, Nancy, and I took pity on him and peeled and peeled layers of skin (a competition of who could peel the longest piece!) as he remained on his stomach lying on the living room carpet begging us to get it all!

    The funniest thing I didn't know about him (until he married) was his real name.  My siblings had told me that Rich was the last child and Mom had run out of names by the time he was born, so he was just named "Richard."  When he was a grown young man and his wedding invitation arrived, imagine my horror when I saw a middle name had been inserted between Richard and the last name!  What a horrible typo and apparently no one had caught it.  I called Mom immediately and asked her if she was aware of the error and she (in a very slow confused voice) told me, "That IS his middle name.  What made you think he didn't have one?"  I explained what all the other siblings had told me ALL MY LIFE and she almost split her sides laughing at the joke that had traveled into my adulthood!  Everyone had kept the joke alive, INCLUDING Rich!

    Now that I have my husband, Rich has had to move to the title of "Second Nicest Man I've Ever Known" which is okay.  He's still up there HIGH on my list of guys!