The Light In His Smile: Part 1 (Personal Reflections)

The following is Part 1 of 2 of a piece that I wrote about my little brother. His birthday is this week, so this is in honor of him.

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As I walk into Bellamy Elementary on my brother Jeffrey’s first "real" day of school, I smile, knowing that the next six years of his life will be more special than he knows. The hallways are enchanted with the glittery optimism of first-time students, and for one fleeting moment, I am five years old again. The world is new and exciting and beautiful, and there is nothing anyone can do to break me. Life is uncomplicated, the right thing is obvious, and loving others is easy. I’m not afraid of getting hurt, because I’ve never been hurt before.

When I come back to reality, I turn and see Jeffrey trailing behind me with our dad. I watch as he marvels at a pair of clownfish in a fish tank, and I smile when he finds his name on a bulletin board next to Room 111. Being at Bellamy reminds me how much I love the blatant joy and unaffectedness of little children. Their innocence is sacred, and I never want that to be taken away from my brother.

Jeffrey is my only sibling, and I am nine years older than him. Sometimes we bicker, sometimes we fight, and sometimes he drives me crazy, but I love him. He is an incredibly special, joyous human being, and his outlook on life is so refreshing. Many people fail to appreciate the simple mindsets of little children; if adults handled issues with half as much transparency, I think the world would be much better off for it.

We turn left and end up inside a nicely sized classroom with colorful posters on the wall. I listen to the soft chatter of his new classmates and look around for his new teacher, Mrs. Hooper. She shows us where to find his morning work and he sits down next to a boy named Carlos.

I watch Jeffrey unpack his bag, and staring me in the face is the fact that someday, my little brother won’t be so little anymore. Today he is starting kindergarten, but one day he will be graduating. I am a junior in high school, and when I look back on my life, I see a rollercoaster of ups and downs. It’s scary to think that before long, my little brother is going to be facing the same issues that I do.

As I give Jeffrey a last hug and kiss goodbye, I drink in the innocence and beauty of the children that surround me. I regret not making every second of my childhood count.  I pray that God will take care of my little brother, the brother that means so much to me, and then I slip out of the classroom with my dad.
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Come back Tuesday for the second part of this story! :) As always, I love hearing your thoughts in the comments.

xoxo,
Ireland


Disclaimer: Some details (names, etc.) have been changes for privacy purposes.