As I was reading through my journals from 2025 last week in preparation for goal setting for 2026, my January 6th entry captured my attention and emotions. This particular journal entry came from a writing prompt. I sometimes use writing prompts to get my creativity and thoughts flowing. This particular prompt was to think of someone I know well. Maybe someone I love, someone I miss or someone I will never see again. The prompt encouraged me to fill a page of all the things that remind me of this person. I chose my brother Bill.

My brother Bill died unexpectedly at the age of 57 in 2022. He was 4 1/2 years older than me. I have experienced a lot of loss over my life. Losing my brother Bill was the hardest.

Here is what I wrote:

I think of you whenever the Buckeyes play.

I think of you every Christmas Eve service when we light the candles. I remember how by alerting the family my hair was on fire because I had fallen asleep, you saved me from serious harm and yet you somehow got blamed for it.

I think of you when I hear the song “Free Bird”.

I think of you every Superbowl.

I think of you when I walk past St. Mary’s Church. You would play basketball there growing up and if you had no one else to play with you would let me tag along. I also always had to be the pickle in the middle.

I think of you whenever I see a music box. (that story is told here music boxes).

I think of you when I see an Amish person ;).

I think of you whenever someone talks about Fantasy Football and Baseball (Bill was the first to win a national tournament in two major sports; football and baseball). He was a savant when it came to sports statistics.

I think of you every time I hear the band Kiss.

I think of you whenever I see or buy a crazy kitchen gadget. We got that from dad.

I am grateful you were my brother though we had a few rough patches. I am grateful we got to work together at Papa Joes though I didn’t appreciate it at the time. Oh the memories. You would have appreciated a meme I recently sent Fortner.

I miss you and am sorry you suffered the most through the trauma of our childhood. You were a good big brother.