life. faithful.

 Dear Michael,  This year marks 21 without you. It's such a strange thought...I had just turned 20 when you were killed, so as of this year I've officially lived more of my life without you here than I did with you. Somehow it's not as hard as the birthday that made me older than you, but it's definitely a strange feeling. There's so much I wish you were here for. I wish you had met your 4 nieces and 4 nephews. I wish you could hang out on the front porch. I wish you could teach your nephew how to use his size on the basketball court. I wish you could see your niece catch black snakes. I wish I could give them all more of you than just stories and pictures. I wish they could know the real you, not the version that gets a bit glorified by your absence. I wish they could see your crooked smile in real life. Last year, the kids had a ref during basketball season who had gone to school with you...and I was caught off guard by how old he was. I know I'm getting old (...