Dear Caleb,

Today is your 16^th birthday. (Dare I say “Sweet 16”? We’ll say it refers to March Madness, even though your team decided to sit on the bench instead of play their second game…)

While I remember the births of all my siblings in some way, yours I remember as clearly as if it was yesterday. Mom and Dad went to the hospital about 5:30 the evening of March 28, leaving me alone with the remainder six siblings overnight at the age of 15. This was before cell phones, we lived a good ½ hour from the hospital (as if I could have driven there anyhow for I hadn’t learned to do anything but start a car) and knew NOBODY in our little town of East Brookfield, MA. So after Katey tried to burn down the house cooking pizza, I checked the locks on the doors about a million times and put the youngest five to bed. Then Katey and I sat down to watch the movie Ben-Hur. These were in the days before DVDs. Don’t know if we were just nervous wrecks or the library stickers covered the number on the two cassettes, but we put in one and the movie started right at the chariot race. Already a budding writer (guess I’m still budding since I’m not published yet…), I thought, “Wow! What a way to start a story!” A couple hours later we discovered our mistake: we watched the second half first and then put in the first half. Funny but that did explain a lot…

Didn’t sleep much that night. And spent the next day on pins and needles. Nobody called. Didn’t know what was going on. I probably thought Mom had died, or Dad had a heart attack, or you were in ICU. I know I wanted to scream. But – finally – around 12:30 Dad called. I had a baby brother. Named Samuel Caleb. At a whopping 12 pounds even. What did I want to call him? I didn’t hesitate: Caleb.

Who knew 16 years ago how much I needed a baby brother. I certainly didn’t foresee the only other brother I had exiting my life, not caring if I lived or died and causing years of pain. But God knew. And God gave you everything you needed to be the only brother in the midst of sisters: a sense of humor, a ton of tolerance, an easy nature and over six feet of brawn. You may not want to get married, but you will one day make some girl very lucky. That is, if she can get by one adoring oldest sister.

Unlike most siblings that are separated by 15 years, I have been very blessed to be a part of most of your life. I have watched you be a cowboy and fight bad guys in the woods. I long ago gave up trying to keep up with the books you read – and I’ve never had the comprehension you do. I can’t hope to compete on the basketball court anymore, although I never mind trying. I am very proud that the little boys at church think you are the greatest thing since sliced bread, that you write me letters that make me laugh, that you played your best basketball games ever when I visited for Christmas, and that you’re willing to share your room over Easter. Most of my life I wanted an older brother…well, I wouldn’t exchange the best baby brother in the world for all the older brothers money could buy.

Happy 16^th birthday, Bud. I’ll see you next month!

Love, Melissa

Me and my baby brother at the hospital, 1995: ages 15 and not quite 1 day.

I could carry him!

Me and my baby brother at home in Indiana, 2010: ages 30 and 15.

Now he can carry me!