oh brother he's getting big

Today is my baby brothers last day of primary school. While I know that this is merely a formality and he still has a good 6 years of school ahead of him it’s just another reminder that neither he, nor I, are getting any younger. I remember the days when I used to feed him his bottle and change his nappy and that intense love I felt when I walked into a room and his precious little face lit up. I got that same feeling when he looked out across the audience, last week, during his school play to make sure his family were there supporting him. These days his affection is displayed in the form of an exasperated hug when I walk in the front door but it’s more than most people get out of him. A conversation will never end without a quick ‘I love you’ from him and in the early stages of pre-teendom I cherish how meaningful that is. While I know that I can’t protect him from the lure of all those things which may look very appealing to a teenage boy, I hope that he will always know he has a big sister who loves him so very much and who is watching his back whenever she can.
I gave Mom such a hard time for stressing outrageously about his high school, but I’m starting to understand. You only want the best for the ones you love and as you get older you realise that it doesn’t even matter if they never know how much you care, as long as they’re okay, that’s your reward.