Ode to Dragon Boy
(Happy Birthday to my Brother)
Hot damn! It�s your birthday!
Jimmy�s birthday.
Jim.
James.
Nub.
Another year of you!
Every year you grow more conscious.
Every year you make me more proud.
And thankful.
I�m thankful for the laughter you pull from me. Nothing makes me laugh more joyfully than with you.
I�m thankful for your quest.
Your stretching. Your Millman books. Your herbs.
Your bloody cupping hickie adventure. Your writing about it all.
You show a dedication that I admire.
It�s why I never really worry about you.
I know you�ll be ok.
I know you�ll continue becoming the amazing person you are.
And I know that every year that you dedicate to becoming that amazing person, the better off the planet is.
And I�m thankful for that, too.
So your birthday is a celebration for me, especially. It�s like my very own Thanskgiving.
With cake instead of turkey.
***
This year is a special one. It�s the year you start your own nest.
I�m so nervous and excited for you.
You are living life as an �adventure,� as Grandpa would say.
It is so amazing to see that you have found your adventure partner in Jen.
I�m thankful for you introducing her into my world.
She�s an awesome sister.
And I�m thankful for who you two are together. I feel so lucky to have been able to share this space with you over the last year. I know my future partner will benefit from what I�ve learned from the two of you.
And when the time comes and I meet someone as special to me as Jen is to you, I hope you don�t mind if I use the �Tick in my ass� wedding proposal idea. I know the idea was originally for you, but since you didn�t use, I don�t want it to go to waste, ya know?
Anyway.
I love you so so much.
I am thankful for the past year with you. And so excited to see where your 32nd year will take you. It�s definitely starting with some mind-blowing momentum.
Happy Birthday.
Love,
John
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