Boythday!

Although it's still the 24th here in sunny SW England, it is now officially (by around four hours) my youngest brother's birthday in Australia, which is where he is, so that's what counts!

On a river winery cruise in Perth, March 2008

Now when I say youngest, I mean he is the youngest of my two older brothers... Just to clarify... I am clearly the younger and better looking one!

Boy, so named by toddler-me when I couldn't pronounce his real name and which thereafter stuck, is the best whistler I know. He has an amazing ability to produce a warbling whistle that I have never heard anyone else do. You know when there is a change in tone or a pause in the lyrics of the song when most people would break off the whistle and start again? He doesn't do this. He warbles the sound so you know the break/change is there, but he keeps going with it... Oh, for an example to play you so I don't have to try to use words to describe a sound! It's brilliant. It's one of those little things that I absolutely love about him, and it's one of the things that I try to do myself and never can. It's a Boy thing, and it makes me smile whenever I think about him doing it.

When I was a toddler or thereabouts, and he still lived at home, I remember Boy taking me for a ride on a motorbike. I remember trips with Mum and Dad to visit him in Adelaide after he moved away and started playing footy for the SANFL and I used to squirm with impatience when Dad made a million kazillion stops to talk with people before we'd finally arrive at his house! I remember trips made on my own, when I was older, and him driving me around in his super-speedy red car and me wishing that I would be as good a driver as him when I got my license. I remember him coming to watch me in a swimming competition once, and making me feel like I was awesome even though I sucked incredibly (I came last) and had a ridiculous bathing suit on that was not made for a race meet. I remember when I was older still, and we started having adult to adult conversations, and I was so proud and happy that I was a grown up like my brother.

More recently, I remember the support Boy gave me when I was going through a really tough time personally, and whilst he has always been there to support me, I didn't expect my sporty, blokey, ocker Aussie brother to show such a sensitive and insightful side of himself. I feel so blessed to know him and to be his little sister. Although he doesn't know it, this time last year, pretty much to this very minute, he saved me, just by being him... and for that, I could never love him more.

So, on his birthday, although his present is already there with him wrapped, and awaiting his drinking pleasure, I send my youngest brother all the love and best wishes in the world, because he means the world to me... Even if he does sometimes have squid ink on his face...

Squidding on our Christmas break, Port Lincoln, 2009

Happy birthday Boy! xx