A Tribute to Brooks...

I wanted to write a tribute to the memory of my sweet cousin Brooks. I grew up next to him from the day he was born until I moved away from home at 17. The one thing that I remember most about Brooks when we were young is that he was the most loveable, most accident prone kid I have ever known. I knew from a very young age that the girls would just swoon for him. I have never known anyone to be more accident prone from the scar on his eye from a curling iron, to falling out a two story window, to crashing on his bike down the leamington hill. He has been hurt badly a million times, and always jumped up for more. I would have not imagined that diabetes would have been what took his life from him. Unfortunatley, the last 3 or so years of his life, we only got to see him a couple times a year, but when I did he always made me laugh. One of the things that happened is a little over a year ago, I decided to go stay at my cousin Mandy's house (Brooks sister). No one had told Brooks that I was staying there, and as I was watching Mandy do hair, Brooks just happened to call. Mandy asked me to answer it, because she was busy, and so all I said was hello. Brooks said hey Cas what are you doing at my sisters? I was shocked. First of all Mandy and I sound alot alike, and second of all I only go to Mandy's a couple times a year. I felt like he was so observant. The last story that I will share with you, is a couple of years ago when we all went to fish lake to stay in my mom's fifth wheel. We used to do that once a year around the 24th of July. We were all sitting around visiting, and Brooks just starts laughing. I said what are you staring at, and he said you have the smallest teeth, so I am going to call you "Midget Teeth". I then said, you are a jerk, and he said I hate your guts, and we went on for quite awhile(both of us kidding of course). From then on he called me "Midget Teeth".
Those stories probably sound so silly to everyone else, but they are what I think of everytime I think of Brooks. I wanted to share a little about him with you to maybe help me heal a little. If you want to see more pictures of Brooks, check out Amy Fins. blog (there is a link to her blog in my friends list). I feel like I may still be in denial about his passing because I didn't get to see him very often in the few years before his death. Anytime I see his picture I just break down. He is really the first person in my life that passed away, and took me by surprise because of how and when. I always imagine the elderly passing, and not anyone so young. I don't know how you accept it, other than to acknowledge that he was needed by our heavenly father. I love and miss you Brooks more than you will know. I wish that you could still be here, but I know that you were needed in a better place. I love you...