My brother, Ronnie was a free lance writer. He wrote a variety of things in his lifetime from local articles to national magazines. He also wrote poems and was working on a novel at the time of his death. He was one of those persons who was so smart that at times he was scary. I fell in his shadow a lot, but I was always content to be there as I was so proud of him. We were always as close as two peas in a pod though there was seven years in our age difference. He looked out for me all his life, I think in part because Dad chose to leave when I was only two weeks old, never to return. When Ronnie died it almost killed me. I had always written poems and journals but nothing seriously. After his death I started writing in earnest. I think it was partly to feel close to his memory and also to make him proud.
I published a poetry collection last year and have recently had a couple of poems published in anthologies. I have also been entering contests. Today I received notice that I had won first place in one of the categories of the Writers Unlimited Mississippi Poetry Society, South Branch 40th Literary Competition, for a short story I wrote and 1st Honorable Mention for a sonnet called "Winter Moon". I was so excited and happy but all I could think about was wanting to tell Ronnie. I could almost feel him smiling today and it made for a sweet Thanksgiving.
I am so thankful that I had a brother and family that always supported me what ever crazy thing I did. But there was no one like my big brother! He truly was (and is) "the wind beneath my wings". I will always love you and thank you for the gift you have given me to see life with curiosity and a smile.
So Ronnie, this one is for you!
