Mancub

People ask if it was an accident. I have to tell them, officially, no it wasn't. Completely in the plan. Go figure. Having a younger brother is not a new concept. Almost all my friends have siblings, be it older, younger or twinned. I am one of the minority that has a sibling that is more than 10 years younger than me though. To be exact, my brother is officially 11 years, 10 months and 3 days younger than I am. We grew up in different generations, with different parents - my mother never would have bought store-bought spaghetti sauce, but this woman who is raising him has Prego on hand all the time now! I started college when he was just turning 6 and starting kindergarten, which made for some interesting moments at the grocery store and on campus, when people assumed that I was probably his mother and my mom was his grandmother. Having been so far apart in age, our relationship is part brother/sister, but also part mother-type relationship. As he grows older (and taller), though, he is starting to join the ranks of my younger peers.

Tonight my brother flies by himself to Atlanta for a 6 day visit. This newer, taller, more grown-up version of my little brother is going to be a joy to have here, both to spend some quality time together, but also to learn who this new person is. There is so much about someone that you can't put into words over the phone, so much missed detail about his teenage life, his interests, aspirations. We're going to get pizza tonight when he gets in, something pretty chill and comforting all at once, and hopefully I can start to learn more about the baby that my sister and I used to bounce on air mattresses, that cuddled in my arms while I read, and that worshiped ceiling fans before he could talk. Welcome to Atlanta, my (not so) little brother!