Mother's Day

“Hey mom…Happy Mother’s Day!” I said into the phone.

“Aw, thanks sweetheart. When are you coming home?”

I wasn’t sure what she was talking about.

“Uh…I don’t have any plans….you know I’ve been trying to find a new-“

“Oh, well have you heard from your brother?”

“N-no….he’s probably busy mom. They probably took his phone. I wouldn’t really expect him to call me.”

“Did you know he got another parking ticket?”

“No?”

“Don’t give me attitude young lady, I’m going through a lot right now, it’s pretty easy when you don’t do much all day.”

“I have a full time job.”

“Anyway…”

Our conversation went something like that. Our conversations usually end up with me calling her or vice versa and immediately turning to my brother. It’s pretty much always been that way, he is the first born after all. Right now he’s in combat training, something that has taken a toll on both of my parents. I think I’ve chosen to live in denial, it seems to be working. Pretty soon he’ll be fighting in Afghanistan like so many other men under the age of 23. I’m used to it, though. Deployments, that is.

After we got off the phone I wanted to change something, so I moved my furniture around the whole place. When that didn’t help I got a haircut, it turned out okay. My hair is really wavy and I got swoopy bangs cut into it which just means I’ll need to straighten then until it grows out a little. It could be worse. Eventually the haircut didn’t help so I booked a plane ticket home. It’s not really to say goodbye to my brother, it’s to make sure my mom doesn’t go crazy. She can be extremely fragile when it comes to her children. Almost every time I go home she has to make a trip to the emergency room due to chest pains, shortness of breath, leg pain, you name it. She worries too much, that's what usually puts her into the emergency room, besides that she’s not in the best of health but she’s trying. That’s really all I can ask. I decided to book a week off. I have tons of vacation time stocked up and I really do miss my family. It’s just hard always having to be the rock when my brother lives his life regardless of others or what his actions do to our family. I’m not talking about the deployment because I kind of get it and I love my brother so much but he can be a major tool. He’s very selfish and his attitude can ruin holidays but I love him regardless like any little sister. I’m going home in about three weeks, so it should be a nice vacation for me since I haven’t been home since Christmas.