Larry

Larry was the perfect big brother to me and I always adored him. When I was 6 and he was just shy of 10, I would follow behind him as we walked to the bus stop, imitating his form. I needed to control the natural swivel of my hips, swing my arms, take long strides and lift to the balls of my feet with each step. Perfect.

Larry had a love of nature and animals throughout his life. I will never forget Beeper, the bluebird with a broken wing that he mended in our basement and then set free. Animals returned his love. Once he came to visit with me at Susie’s. Her dog, Reese, was very old and riddled with arthritis. When Larry arrived Reese was wagging his tail and acting like a puppy, staying the entire time at Larry’s side. If Larry got up to go to the bathroom, Reese followed right behind.

Larry loved being in the wilderness, either camping, hunting or just walking. He was always soft spoken and accepted things as they are. His very presence calmed me when I was stressed. When he lost the strength in his legs and his balance, I asked if he was frustrated or angry that he could no longer walk and he told me, "I guess God figured I used up all my steps."

In August he had his first surgery and he was back in ICU with all of those wires. I watched the screen and saw his heart beat rate, blood pressure, blood oxygen level and at the bottom his respiration chart. The mimicking little sister returned – inhale to the peak, exhale, hold...inhale to the peak, exhale, hold – we were in union again.

Now he is walking ahead of me to join Star, Jack, Mom, and Dad. I can see him with a gentle smile on his face, swinging his arms, taking long strides and lifting to the balls of his feet with each step.