This is my brother. My oldest brother, Barry. There are two more brothers in between us. We are ten years apart. A decade. A decade separates me from the brother who played In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida by Iron Butterfly on our record player while I danced around the dining room table. With the pale blue transparent curtains blowing in the open window’s breeze, I thought it was the most amazing music I’d ever heard.

This is the brother who took me to see Uncle Floyd, the cable tv sensation of the late 70’s/early 80’s. This is the brother who introduced me to Monty Python while I sat on the edge of the bed, not sure what I was seeing, but knowing it was funny and important.

This is the brother who ate Spaghettio’s and had lots of junk in the backseat of his car. But if I needed a ride somewhere, there was always room. This is the brother who never lost his patience with me as an annoying kid sister. This is the brother who had lots of nice girlfriends who were equally as nice to me. This is the brother who never made me feel stupid.

This is the brother that welcomed my husband into the family with open arms, as a new friend.

This is the brother who brought me the traditional first plate of food at my son’s Shiva.

This is the brother I left the hospital with after my mother died, telling him that I could feel her in the air! That she was ok now and her spirit was all around us that evening on the top of the parking deck of Overlook Hospital. This is the brother who I assured it would be okay to look at our mother in her casket before the funeral began. We cried together and said how beautiful she looked.

This is my brother who cried as Hal and I told him first that we were pregnant with Miriam.

This is the brother who gets excited every time I publish a story. This is the brother who is so proud of me.

This is the brother who “gets me” without many words. This is my dreamer brother. This is my brother who isn’t afraid to cry. My brother who loves to travel. My brother who treasures happiness. My brother who has chosen a woman as special as him to live the rest of his life with. This is the brother who always understands when something is too hard for me or Hal emotionally.

This is my brother Barry. Happy Birthday Barry. This is your card. Hope you like it.