There are people that never get a chance to be a kid growing up. Sometimes adversity changes our lives early on and takes away one of the most precious stages of our life. After my father passed away all of us kids had to grow up fast but none more than my older brother Ronald.

He was 13 when my father passed away and was immediately thrusted into the “man of the house” position. I can’t imagine being that young and now having all that weight put on my shoulders. While I played freeze tag and ran around all day, Ron was responsible for getting his four siblings dressed, fed, and under control while my mom worked three jobs. I probably would also add in “entertained”. We would play late night games of monopoly until we were all falling asleep at the table. On the side of the game it says “ages eight and up”, but I’ve been personally playing that game since the ripe age of five. It’s also probably the reason that I can’t play the game today without being a little too competitive.

Ron was more than just your typical older brother. He played the father role without trying to be our father. It wasn’t until I got a little older that I realized not only how much he did for us but also how much he sacrificed for our family. On a sports team if someone goes down you look for someone else to step up and pick up the slack, Ron didn’t have a choice he just stepped up and did it. The funny thing is, I never once heard him complain to my mother. Whether it was taking me and my little sister with him to college to study, or bringing us back candy one of the few nights he did get a chance to go out, Ron never seemed upset about the role he was given.

One thing most people notice about me right away is that I love to joke around. Although Ron has tried to portray the role as a “serious” guy we all knew his lighter side growing up. We would laugh and joke around all the time, despite Ron’s attempts not to laugh too much. The latter use to make me try even harder to make him laugh (even to this day)

I could never thank Ron for everything he’s done for us and I definitely couldn’t write enough words to describe all he has done for my family. It makes me think of all the kids that have had to grow up faster than they planned. The ones that didn’t get a chance to go to the mall, or hang out with friends all the time.

Ron has been so much more than a big brother to me and my siblings and is truly one of the things I’m most thankful for in my life. I loved every minute of my childhood thanks to him, I just wish he could have experienced more of his.