Hey Little Girl

I was always so proud of my big brother. I was in the third grade when Tommy joined the Marine Corps (without telling my parents, by the way). He would send letters, and we would all anxiously await his visits home. I remember several times staking out a window by the front of the house on a pillow patiently waiting for his car to pull in the drive. When it did, he would usually greet me with a grin and say, "Hey little girl." Without fail, Tommy would have a gift for each of his little sisters from whatever far off country he had recently traveled. He was my hero. I carried around a picture of him at school to show off to all my friends. During every single quiet prayer time during church, I would pray for him to come home safely and soon.

He was so sweet to me. When I entered adolescence and all the awkwardness that goes along with it, Tommy always gave me words of wisdom, advice, and understanding. When I decided to take French in high school, he would write French letters to me to help me practice since he already knew the language. He made a quiet place for me out of this old delivery truck of his in our yard and told me it could be a secret place for me to go whenever I needed to get away from it all. He taught me how to drive standard in his 1970 VW Beetle that became my first car. And even as I was learning how to drive, he called me "little girl".

After the Marines, he reconnected with and married his high school sweetheart Kristina. They were the perfect match. My sister Summer remembers asking Tommy who he thought was the most beautiful woman in the world, and he answered, "Kristina, in every way". He went on to earn an engineering degree, and maintained a strong Christian "family first" lifestyle. He was a wonderful husband and father. I hope to help keep his memory and their love story alive in stories I tell to his precious children.

I remember Tommy with love and fondness. I regret that we drifted apart through the last few years. If I could go back in time, I would try harder and put 100% into being closer to him. I have learned a valuable lesson through all of this heartache: don't hesitate to tell others how much you love them. Don't take them for granted thinking they will always be there when you are less busy. Don't give up. That is what I am going to do now. I just hate that it took this to get me to change.

I am so incredibly thankful that I got to spend the day with him last Thursday, his last full day on earth. We were able to tell each other so many times that day how much we loved one another. We connected again just like old times.

I love you Tommy. I am so sorry you are gone. I miss you. I will always hear your voice saying, "Hey little girl".

Tommy called this fast food.

with Dadmy wedding