's MotD Tuesday Dec 25, 2007

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's Daily Message

TuesdayDecember 25, 2007

LENNY & ME

Well, my brother Lenny is in town with his wife, . They`re here to celebrate Christmas with me and the dogs. I get to see my brother a few times a year when I go to New Orleans. And he comes to visit me here in Los Angeles this time of year, every year.

As kids, Lenny and I did a lot of stuff together. We`d walk to school together and, because he was the older brother, he`d always hold my hand when we crossed a busy street. I liked that.

He was never the gushy, emotional type. He kept a lot inside. So when he held my hand on those walks to school, I felt secure...I felt he really cared about me. And after school we`d walk right back home together, too.

On Sunday morning, you`d always find us in church. But sometimes, I`d get really bored, antsy and do silly, fidgety things during the service. Lenny, the ever watchful older brother would turn his head, give me a very stern look and remind me, Dicky, stop it! We`re in the House of the Lord! I knew he was serious so I`d always quickly settle down!

After church, we loved to walk over to Cafe Du Monde to have some warm beignets and chocolate milk.

We also went shopping together sometimes when we were kids. I remember how we used to go looking for our parents presents together at Christmas time.

We went into a lot of stores on Canal Street and after we finished our shopping, we`d head for the lunch counter at Woolworth`s for lunch. It was the holiday season so Lenny would have the turkey dinner with sliced turkey breast and gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce and apple pie a la mode. I`d have the Club Sandwich, some French Fries and a chocolate malt.

Lenny was very finicky about his plate of food. He didn`t like people even touching his plate. I would always ask for something from his plate, though...

Lenny, can I have a little of your stuffing, please?

And knowing how much he hated it, even as I was asking, my fork would be inching toward his plate. Well, Lenny would get so upset that he`d end up moving to a different seat at the lunch counter!

I have so many great memories about Lenny. Sometimes, I`ll be sitting alone and get nearly hysterical remembering all of the crazy things I did to him when we were growing up.

On this Christmas Day, I will sit with him on the couch and look through some of the scrapbooks he gives me each Christmas. The scrapbooks are made up of pictures from our past, pictures of us and our family, often taken at Christmas. I hope I`ll be getting a new scrapbook this year. I just love those wonderful photos taken when we were growing up.

As we sit going though those memories, I`ll slide my hand into Lenny`s and hold it tightly, like he used to do for me crossing the street as we walked to school. I`ll call him by the old nickname I gave him years ago and remind him, Baba, I love you so much. I always have and I always will.

May you have fond memories today of your own Christmas pasts. And may you enjoy this Christmas and hold the hand of someone you love, too.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Love,