from younger years and brotherly love

Today marks the 12th year I have known my brother. I was four at the time and used to scowl at him for a few reasons: I had prayed constantly for a little sister, I was no longer the youngest/'baby' of the family, and soon I would shudder at my mother's voice knowing she was calling me to 'hold down' his arms while she changed his dirty diaper. In more recent times I have learned to appreciate Timon. It scares me when I can see myself at his age, and that certainly makes me sound like a mother! I don't even realize how much of an impact I have on him, and too many times I haven't been a peace maker, or purposely annoyed him. No matter what, I know that he's my little brother and the one I can be a tomboy with. (:
Today I surprised him by going into his classroom to sing happy birthday and give him a "scrapbook" of some of his baseball pictures I had previously taken. It was worth it seeing his smile and I suppose I will have to remind myself of that the next time he comes unannounced in my room or places his knees perfectly into my back when we are riding in the van. So if you see Tim anytime soon sweetly smile with old photographs still clear in your memory and give him a happy-birthday-high-five.
Then:

now: