Dear Deo,

Sometimes when I meet an old girl, right after exchanging pleasantries, the next question will be, “ how is Deo?’ what surprises me most about this question is not that they inquired after you. What surprises me most is that they still remember you so many years after school.

It’s funny because they never were my close friends. So I usually ask in genuine astonishment, ‘You know Deo?’ I always receive an emphatic yes. I always talked about you they claim. I still wonder, what I told them about you that so many years later, they remember you.

I am your little sister, and I could say that you are meant to look after me, watch out for me and be nice to me. But I can’t. You have touched my heart and my life beyond a brother, and I guess the stories I told them about you touched their hearts. Maybe they wish they had a brother like you. I never want to take this for granted and I always count my blessing and whisper softly in amazement of how much I am blessed.

My fondest memory of you is how as a little girl, you would flex your arm and I would swing away. I have never found a better swing. In a sense, it was like as if you were telling me you would go that extra mile for me, something that you have lived up to. You always lifted when I wanted to touch something I that I couldn’t reach. In a way you encouraged my curiosity something that I will forever be grateful for.

You are the gentle and calm brother, and yet every time you (calmly) rebuked me and told me to stop a nasty habit I was developing, I did. No questions asked, no resistance I just simply stopped. It is something that I have never understood.

There have been multiple times in my life when the only reason or excuse for me to keep on keeping on has been you. Usually because I am so excited about the time when I will talk you about the progress that I have made; but it really is the pride that I see in your eyes and your smile. That I know you are somewhere believing in me makes me do what I thought was the impossible. You are indeed a gem.

You have had some hard times come your way. I have watched as you fought and soldiered on. You may not have known at the time, but for every obstacle that you overcame, I was inspired to soldier on in my fights. If you ever stop to wonder if there is a life that you have touched, please always remember that you have touched mine in ways that you may never know.

My prayer is that you never see the little sister in me grow. (I want to be able to throw tantrums even at 50. It is one of those things that I immensely enjoyed while growing up. Having to throw a tantrum simply because I was the youngest and that always made me to get my way).

When I looked up the synonyms of the word dear, these are the words that I got; beloved, treasured, prized, precious, loved and cherished. You are all that and so much more. I thank God every day of my life that you are my big brother. I love you to the moon and back and then some.

Your little sister

I wrote this letter a while back and I forgot about it. I was going through my work when I saw it. The plan was to post it on Deo’s birthday. It missed the birthday and it comes a few days later.  I guess it is true, better late than never.