68 And 70

My brothers Steven and David would have been 68 and 70 yesterday.

They shared a birthday and I remember asking Steven how it felt, that first birthday after David died.

“It feels strange.”

That’s how I feel about Steven being gone. It still feels so strange.

When my niece was going through his phone after he died, she discovered he kept notes about each of his contacts.

“The realtor I met in Phoenix.”

“The painter who did a good job on the neighbor’s house.”

“My sister.”

I miss him and his emoji-filled, book-length, text messages.

Happy heavenly birthday, Steven. And give David and Dad hugs, too.