why i love my family, part 6

Happy Birthday, Kurt!! Today is my little brother Kurt's birthday. He is a real keeper. Here are some reasons why I love my bro:

• Kurt was always the peacemaker in our home. I personally think he was mom's favorite, and deservedly so. Brad and I would fight like cats and dogs, but Kurt got along with everyone. He's always have to share a seat with one of us in the minivan because heaven knows Brad and I couldn't sit next to each other. So, it was either Kurt sitting by me or Kurt sitting by Brad. I never realized until now how grossly unfair that was. Thanks for being such a chill kid, Kurt!
  
  
  
  
  
• Kurt is super super diligent. Wow, he is an example to all of us. I remember when we were in high school and he'd play soccer, he'd come home and make Brad hold his feet and do sit-ups in the middle of the living room. Or these funky leg raise exercises (which I attempt to do now with my exercise ball... they are awful). He did them. Kurt was always more in shape than the rest of us, and I think that's because he's incredibly diligent.
  
  
• In those same respects, he played the clarinet for years. He was in the band and did a great job. I'd go to some of his high school concerts and embarrass him by waving wildly from the audience. He was first chair (big deal!) most of the time. I seem to think there were always people in the band he was intimidated by, but part of me thought everyone else must have been intimidated by him. Kurt did his very best in everything.
  
  
• When Kurt and I got older, he didn't like to go shopping without me. Why? He was worried he'd buy something that didn't match. I can't recall how many times he'd get dressed in the morning and ask me if something matched, or bring me a shirt and pair or pants wondering if they matched. It was quite endearing. I liked being the most important opinion in Kurt's life!! I took my role as fashion consultant very seriously.
  
  
• I remember the first time I realized my little brother was growing up. This scared my pants off. He went to go see Batman & Robin, the most awful fourth or fifth installment of the Batman series -- featuring Arnold Schwartzaneggar (sp!) as Mr. Freeze and Uma Thurman as Poison Ivy with George Clooney as Batman! (and that didn't kill his career? amazing!). Anyway, he came home from the flick and I asked him what he thought. His comment to me? "That Uma Thurman is fine!" Oh no... Kurt just said a girl was fine. Yikes.
  
  
• Kurt and I became great friends. He may not remember this, but he wrote me a letter in college. I think he's written me a couple letters. They were always so heartfelt, about how he looked up to me and I was his big sister always, and on and on wonderful sibling things and I think if my parents read the letters they'd die of shock! Yes, we loved each other! He made me feel so good about myself in times when nothing else did. I appreciated his words of encouragement often. Even today.
  
  
• Kurt had this car. A blue Honda hatchback. He named it Kurtafunkel. (To this day I call Kurt "Kurtafunkel" as his nickname.) The summer before his mission, since my car was a piece of junk, I borrowed it sometimes for big trips. I went on a big trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Ooh baby I was excited for this trip! I met my cousin there, who was visiting from Colorado, and we stayed in a beach house and all was delightful. On the way home, Kurtafunkel had some problems. Outside of Washington, D.C., I heard this noise, like a pop, then people behind me were using their windshield wipers (it wasn't raining), then my overheat light came on, then the car died. Dead. What had happened? The oil plug had fallen out, all the oil spilled all over the road, and the engine fried. Right there. I ruined my brother's car. And what did he do? What did he say? Nothing. He was totally cool with it. Here is what he said, "well, I'm going on a mission and I won't need a car then and it's really no big deal. It's just me getting rid of stuff before my mission, right?" Are you kidding me? He wasn't mad at all. Never brought it up again. Wow. Forgiving. It makes me cry just thinking about it.
  
  
• Speaking of Kurtafunkel, before his untimely demise, he was the car we drove out to school. That's right, my little brother had more disposable funds than I did, and he bought a car for his freshman year at BYU and drove it with me and my stuff and he and his stuff from Salisbury, Maryland, to Provo, Utah, and back. It is a big deal to travel cross country with someone. Have you ever tried it? Kurt is probably the only person I would have not killed. He is awesome. We talked and listened to music and goofed off and who knows what else. We had a great trip. The song "With Arms Wide Open" by Creed was big at the time, and whenever it would come on I'd spread my arms wide open from the passenger seat and hit him in the face and I thought that was so funny and by God's graces the car didn't crash and Kurt didn't kill me either. It was great, me and my brother.
  
  
• Kurt is such a good example to me of selfless service. When we were young adults, he befriended a kid from Church. I can't even remember his name. I don't know if Kurt was assigned to home teach this guy and look out for him or not, I just know Kurt did. He gave him rides to Church, he invited him to activities, he bought him food, he helped him out. And this kid was a stick in the mud. He didn't appreciate anything Kurt did, he gave Kurt the cold shoulder often, he was mean sometimes, but Kurt knew that what this kid needed most was love, and he offered Christ-like love. Wow. Kurt took being a good friend seriously, even when this guy did not care or reciprocate. It was interesting to watch, and it showed just how good to a kid Kurt really is.
  
  
• Kurt was always game for a good adventure. I loved that about him! We took a couple trips to see concerts. We usually got lost in traffic. At one festival, it rained almost all day. I have this picture I LOVE of us, where I'm wearing Kurt's polo shirt since my shirt was white and when it started raining that was bad news, and he and I are soaked and grinning and it was the best time. We took at trip up to see the Hill Cumorah Pageant in Palmyra with the single adults. We went to EUROPE together. We even talked about hiking the Appalachians! (yeah right, me hiking the Appalachians!?!) We had lots of fun and made lots of memories.
  
  
• Sometimes, I got irked at Kurt for stealing my friends. I liked to say he stole my friends. I had these friends and he'd come to things with me and he'd make friends with them too, and part of me was like, "no Kurt, those are my friends, get your own friends." But that was silly. I was glad to count Kurt among my friends. Even if at the time he seemed like too much of a little brother. Ahh teen-age drama. Of course if Kurt had grown up and married one of my friends I'd be thrilled.
  
  
• Two of my biggest regrets in life are about Kurt, which shows you how much I love him. These are things I really wish had turned out different. One, I won tickets to a concert off the radio -- not just that, I won a limo ride from Salisbury, Maryland, to the concert which was in Virginia somewhere. Woo hoo! I was allowed to bring one friend. I wanted to bring Kurt, but the radio station said that since he wasn't 18, I'd have to bring a parent to the drop-off site and they'd have to sign a form and blah blah it would be such a hassle, please just bring someone older than 18. OK. I brought a guy from work. So. Lame. I totally regret it. The guy from work didn't care, he wasn't into me (I wasn't even into him!). It would have been so much more fun for Kurt to have come. I regret it to this day!!! Second, there were these girls visiting Church once. We'd seen them before; they came every summer. E-mail was just starting to get big, and Kurt and I were talking to these girls after Church and Kurt asked for their email addresses. And I said, "Oh Kurt! We'll just see them next year! We don't have to email each other, geez!" And I think I totally embarrassed him. And the girls left and we never saw them again and I so regret opening my mouth and being rude! Wow! Why did I do that? Why do I still remember it? Kurt, I'm so sorry. I should never have made you feel like a dweeb for being friendly. Gosh, my brother is so great. And I still can use a lesson or two on keeping my mouth shut sometimes. (Some people -- me -- never learn.)
  
  
• Kurt was super diligent about Church things. He gained a strong testimony early on. He was serious about scripture study and prayers. Sometimes he made me crazy. He likes to read the scriptures really loudly and with gusto (is that such a bad thing? no!) and he is very solemn in his prayers (another not-so-bad thing). Sometimes it bugged me. Why? Who knows. He is a great kid. I know his family appreciates that enthusiasm now. I was super proud of Kurt for serving an honorable mission in Maceio, Brazil. What a star!
  
  
• I stole a pair of Kurt's soccer shorts once. I still have them. They are currently being held together by safety pins. I love those shorts. Once Kurt gave me a really awesome zip-up fleece for Christmas. It was such a good find! I loved it and wore it a lot. I don't know what happened to it. I think I left it somewhere at BYU and it disappeared into the bowels of the BYU Lost & Found. So sad. I think about that fleece a lot. Thanks for outfitting me, Kurt. You are always so thoughtful!
  
  
• As life would have it, Kurt grew up and got married. I had a really hard time with it. Like I said before, I was used to being the most important gal in Kurt's life. Then, he went off and had a new important gal and a family. Wow. But I know Kurt was a great boyfriend, then fiance, now husband and father. He even gives me relationship advice sometimes. Kurt, you're a great man. Take care of that cute family of yours!
  
  
  
  (Three generations of Twinings... Kurt with the now-3-year-old Kyler)
  
  
  
  (Yes, my brother is mini-golfing with a baby)
  
  
  
• Kurt's now a teacher. He teaches middle school students. For awhile there, Kurt would email his family and friends regularly (think a Christmas letter, just every week over email!) and he'd tell us stories about his classes. Some of them were crazy-pull-your-hair-out stories. Middle school kids will drive anyone crazy. Well, if this tells you anything about his character, in one letter Kurt declared that he was no longer going to say negative things about his classes. Only positive things. The negative things just brought him (and all of us) down, and there was no need for it. There you go, Kurt is a positive guy. I think we can all use some of that attitude in our lives.
  
  
• Family events have always been important to Kurt. Now that we're older and more spread out, it's been tougher to get together. But, Kurt showed his dedication when he decided to fly his family up for Wesley's baby blessing. It was a big deal to get him and the wife and 18-month-old toddler to Seattle. I appreciate that he did it. He also got the brood out to Maryland for Brad's wedding. In a couple months, we'll all get together again for Brad's first baby's blessing. I can't wait for a crazy reunion!
  

Ahhh I could go on forever, as always. I'm sure I'll think of many more as soon as I hit "publish." That Kurt is awesome. Happy Birthday, little brother!