26 Jan
Little Brother’s Birthday
Today he would have been 16 years old. Isn’t he beautiful?
I don’t feel sad about his death. I feel hopeful that I know I can be with him again one day. I know this, and I’m happy because of it.
Every year it’s a family tradition to go out to dinner for his birthday. I did it with my mom, dad, and sister growing up, with my roomates when I left home, and with my sister when she joined me at BYU. Now I will carry on the tradition with my husband this Saturday.
How do you honor your loved ones who have passed?
I'm a farm-raised almost-crunchy stroller-pushing picture-taking lifestyle-blog-writing gastronomy-obsessed divine-seeking thrift-store-combing cheese-inhaling pavement-pounding laughter-sprinkling lover of individuality and taking chances.
That’s beautiful. This is my first year without my mom. I don’t know how to celebrate her birthday.
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1That’s a very nice tradition, and a really wonderful way to honor a loved one. I tend to remember my Grandmother as we put up our Christmas tree. She always made the holidays special, and she passed away in the middle of December when I was ten. It’s nice to honor her by remembering some of the ornaments she gave us, putting out her music boxes and eating Buck Eyes, which were one of the cookies she always sent in our Christmas goody box.
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2Dan and I went to P.F. Changs… so yummy! I can’t believe it has been 16 years… he would be the best farm boy ever.
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3What a lovely way to remember your brother- with celebration, instead of sadness.
He’s lovely.
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4What a wonderful way to celebrate the memory of your brother…
If you don’t mind me asking, how did he pass away?
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Jenna Reply:
January 27th, 2009 at 11:03 am
He had a condition which prevented his organs from developing properly. He only lived for 15 minutes.
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That is a lovely family tradition.
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6That is a really nice tradition.
My roomate lost her brother when he was about 16 and it became her tradition on his birthday to go to his favorite resturaunt and watch his favorite movie.
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7My 30 year old brother died last September. He was disabled and never had the chance to marry and have children. I’m expecting my second boy this June and plan to give him the middle name Lawrence after him.
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Jenna Reply:
January 27th, 2009 at 10:46 am
I think that is a very beautiful thing to do. I believe my sister plans on doing that very thing.
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I saw a lovely thing on a blog the other day (and I have no idea where, but maybe you saw it too, since you blogstalk as much as I do!). Anyway, it was a family shoot - a mom, dad, and three little girls. They set it for the day that would have been their first little girl’s birthday, but she was stillborn. In one of the pictures the whole family is releasing seven balloons into the air, to mark her seventh birthday. I totally got a lump in my throat.
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9What a beautiful baby boy. I love that you remember him by celebrating instead of moping around all day. On my brother’s birthday I usually mope around and sulk because I miss him. Maybe I should start your tradition….might make me feel better. That picture makes me cry.
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