Did you ever know that you're my hero...? Hey Buck

Did you ever know that you’re my hero…?  (subtitled – Hey Buck I’m talking bout you)

John 1:5  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

I have a little brother.  Most of you don’t know this because some of you I know some of you I don’t know and well some of yall know me and just don’t know this.  All and all don’t worry about the who, the what, the when and the where. Just know that I have a little brother and he is my Hero.

Totaled combined if I had to sit down and do the calculations he and I have probably spent about a week together combined over both our lives.  We don’t talk much, we text every now and again, so I’ve got to admit it may come to a shock to even him that he’s my hero, although every now and again I call him Superman.

I remember the first time my dad introduced us it was on the playground near my Grandma Esther’s (yep the cake baker).  I can’t remember how old I was, but I fell in love from the moment I saw him.  He had a big head and cornrows and was chubby.   I lugged him around bragging about this cute ball of handsome was my little brother.  I didn’t see him again until my father’s funeral, about 18 years later.  Then once at my older brother’s house for Thanksgiving five years later.  We didn’t talk much at either meeting, just hugged said we loved each other and that we would keep in touch.  (I didn’t)

Twelve years passed before we would lay eyes on each other again.  My oldest brother called me almost around this time last year and said our little brother had been shot.  I was headed back to Charlotte at the time.  Several thoughts went through my head, I didn’t know this man my brother what in the world had happened was he in a gang, was he involved in something horrible.  And even if he was who and the hell would DARE hurt my BABY BROTHER.

I later learned that it was a 53 year old man who was robbing the store that my brother managed.  If my brother hadn’t turned as the gun was being discharged he would likely be dead!  But he turned! 

My brother was flown to Atlanta, Georgia and his family came together in an amazing way to support help and love all over him.  I drove to Atlanta to see him and this meeting is where I placed the superman cape on his shoulders and knew that I had met a hero. 

It was reported that he would not walk again.  He had received nerve damage from the bullet.  I knew he had gotten shot towards his back on the side.  He said the bullet hitting his back hurt, but it was the fire in his legs that was horrible to him.  My hero sat before me not bitter not angry simply reflective of what had occurred to him only weeks before.  With no anger in his eyes he talked about walking again and his plans for the future.  We talked about our dad and he talked to me as if we had talked every day.  He brought back memories of our father and we laughed and sat in silence at times.  It’s so hard to explain but I knew I was in the room with greatness.  His calm, wise , intelligent, strong  forgiving spirit.  was mind blowing to me.  The proud lion’s glow he had when he spoke of his children and how he loved seeing his family come together the way they had for him.  And he called me sister simply because that’s who I am to him.  No anger about why I wasn’t more involved, where I had been why I never called.  He loves me like a sister simple and plain, because he chooses too.

So why is this man my hero.  He is my hero because of his character.  His character when he could have shown the worse of himself and who would have blamed him.  He continues to act in love kindness and amazing strength and  I even dare say forgiveness.  There are many angry people in the world that less things have been done to.  But my little brother chooses to be a good man, a kind man, a strong man, a loving man, a role model to his children and to me. 

My brother can’t fly (I bet he could if he tried), he doesn’t sling spider webs, or have any cool gadgets.  There are many people in the world who go through the day to day ups and downs, but it’s the ones that go against the norm, that smile when they want to cry, fight when they want to quit, stand strong when they want to run, love when they could choose to hate, give when they ain’t got nothing left.  These people, my brother they are the true super heroes.