Uncle Roger

My dad had one sibling, an older brother named Roger. 

As a child I was terrified of him. 

Terrified. 

I have no idea why. 

Then we went to Adventureland and he took me on the bumper cars and 

protected me and I liked him a lot better from then on. 

Now 'adays we love to give each other a hard time. 

He likes to pick on people. 

So did my dad. 

I like to pick on people too. 

They are so much alike. 

And very different. 

They look a lot alike. 

Except that my dad had jet black hair and Roger's grayed earlier. 

When we went camping in August he and my aunt came for awhile one night. 

I had fun showing Tori how silly he was. 

She was basically as terrified of him as I used to be. 

The truth is...it hurts SO badly just to see him. 

Every single time, when I first see him, I can hardly breathe. 

My breath catches and before I can even say hello I have to leave for a minute.

He is NOT a hugger. 

My dad was a HUGE HUGGER.

I MAKE Roger hug me. 

And I hold on a really long time. 

He probably thinks Im insane. 

But for those moments when he's hugging me back its as close to a 

hug from my dad as Im going to get until heaven. 

And I'll take it. 

So thank you Roger...you'll never know what those hugs mean to me.