Christmas memories

Dear Dan,

I’ve been thinking about you a lot today. Who am I kidding? I think of you a lot every single day. But there is one memory that always pops into my mind at this time of year.

Along with the memory of chasing the Christmas star and the Christmas at grandmother’s and granddad’s, along with the memory of talking on the phone when you dropped the cookies on the floor, there’s a special memory.

I think I was a sophomore in college. It wasn’t the easiest of times and I was missing Christmases past. In short, I was about as depressed as I had ever been. I was not looking forward to Christmas day at all — much the way I feel about Christmas every year now.

You didn’t want me to be down in the dumps so you went out and bought me a tree. You brought it up to my room and helped me set it up. The tree was a lush, full Fraser fir. I think it was the most beautiful tree I’ve ever seen.

That was such a beautiful tree — a beautiful gift from my beautiful brother. I loved it. I hugged you when I thanked you and you let me, even though that was so not your thing. I wish I could hug you now.

I love and miss you, bro.