The time is coming to an end!!!

     I was born and raised in the town I grew up in. Its a small town with a large University and its fairly safe unless you go downtown when its dark on the weekends. Thats where you'll find all the drunk college students and occasionally some violence. Our police force has a good handle on things downtown though.
     I've only lived in two houses over the past twenty years and seventeen of those years I have had a younger brother by my side. In the fall I'll be attending college and my brother will be a senior in high school. Let's face it, we're getting old. My parents are now those parents who in time will say, "yes we have kids, but there all grown."
     With that being said, hopefully my brother will be headed off to college while I'll be attending my second year even though we're three years apart.  That means in the near future there will no longer be a little brother to come home to on the weekends, or play games with when he's in a good mood. No brother to explain to others that I'm quirky, but not different. No brother to protect me when others hurt me. No brother to protect me while my parents are out and its dark out. No brother to comfort me during a seizure if my parents aren't around. No brother to be there.
     Its not a bad thing, but its a good thing that each of us our finding our ways into leading independent lives. As we do this though, I am realizing how much of an impact my brother has had on me. Just the other day, I brought home ice cream for him and he gave me a huge bear hug. Its ice cream for pete's sake. In all honesty, I don't think he sees the future, but only sees the present.
     Obviously we'll always have each others backs, but we'll lead different lives under different roof's. Hopefully my brother will go onto college and move out on his own. He'll find a decent job, find a wife, get married and have kids. I'll hopefully go off to college, crossing my fingers be able to live on my own depending on where I can find a job and how much transportation holds me hostage and hopefully find the right man, but I haven't really kissed any frogs yet, so thats a far fetch.
     The truth of the matter is that I don't think my brother and I are seeing eye to eye on things. My brother sees me coming home every weekend next year to see him and my parents and we'll live happily ever after. I see us moving out and on our own to follow our dreams and this may mean less contact and more passion for our careers and future families. We're leaving the next and flying where were taken. God only knows, maybe I'll have to live with my brother for transportation purposes, but my hope is that he is able to lead his only life and not worry about how well I'm taken care of. My dream is that I'll be able to take care of myself and follow my own dreams without too many burdens.
We must take the time we have together and cherish it before its gone. Time flies!!!