Today is my Older Brother's Birthday

Today is my older brother's birthday. He would have been 60 years old. I was a sickly child and wasn't allowed to run and play. When he could have been off playing, my brother would put me in his wagon and ride me around the neighborhood so I could get some fresh air and see things.


Big Brother had a big heart. When he went to his cleaners the owner seemed sad. Mike asked her what was wrong. She told him her Mother was hospitalized and she couldn't close the cleaners to go be with her. Mike got her Mother's name and the hospital she was in. He took her Mother flowers and sat with her a couple of hours making her laugh and talking with her. He then went on to work.


Big Brother could dance. You could show him any dance no matter how intricate and he could do it. He was a graduate of Cranbrook Academy in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan and attended U of Michigan on a dance scholarship but didn't graduate. He just plain got tired of school and dropped out.


Big Brother was gay. He would take me to restaurants and tell me to pick out the gay men. A lot of the time I got it wrong. I knew about the "down low" before there was a term for it. Mike wanted to make sure I avoided these kind of "men".


Big Brother was very protective of me and I of him. He could never see the negative in people and always would try and find the good. Most people were crazy about him, this earned him a lot of "haters" who would smile in his face and pretend to be his friend so they could bask in his light. We would try and warn him, but Mike would smile and say they couldn't hurt him.


As I stated earlier Mike could dance. When we would go out there were women who knew he was gay who would try and sleep with him. I didn't get it. I asked one woman why she say she thought it would be great because of the way he moved. Another stated she wanted to help him go straight. Go figure.


I miss my brother and pray that he rests peacefully until the day of judgement. Love you Mike.




Michelle