Michael was exactly one year and a half older than Daniel to the day. Michael took his role of big brother to Dan very seriously from the start. Michael let everyone know early on that Dan was his little brother, and in Michael’s words: "I am the boss of him." As little boys, Michael was always taking Dan by the hand or the arm and dragging him along like a rag-doll everywhere we went. Poor Dan. Michael would never let him go in a public place where he thought Dan could get lost and by the end of the day, Dan would have a very sore arm from being yanked on. I used to tell him to let go of Dan because he was stopping his circulation.
   Dan wouldn't speak to us when he was little, but Michael always knew what he wanted and he would tell me that Dan wants this or that Dan wants that. I'd ask Michael "How do you know that, he didn't say a word?" and he'd giggle and tell me "because he's my brother." Then, when Dan finally began to speak, they made up their own language and I had no idea of what they were saying to each other. They would sit for hours communicating with each other like that. They thought that was hilarious, but it drove me up the wall. It was the darndest thing that you ever heard. And so laid the groundwork for an adventure into brotherhood; Michael would be the loud, silly, boisterous kid who never met a stranger, and Dan would be the quiet, shy little brother, who hid behind him. They were crazy about each other, couldn't stand to be away from each other, but I don't think a day ever went by when the two boys didn't have an argument over something, and that continued on forever.

  I used to dress the boys up alike because they liked it that way. They thought that they were supposed to be twins and always wanted whatever the other one had. Eventually they grew out of that when they decided that their counter-part was just plain "yukky." Michael never stopped looking after Dan even when Dan grew to be taller of the two-some. By the time Michael turned 15, he was constantly measuring himself wondering how there be such a difference in their height. He had a fit that Dan was becoming taller than him. After all, he was the "big brother." Michael did not like being the shorter brother one bit.

 
  But no matter, he was still Dan's big brother in every sense of the words. Michael was very protective of Dan.If anyone posed any kind of threat towards Dan, look out, because Michael was right there on the job. Michael also took the blame for things that Dan did when he was in trouble just to help him out, and Dan covered up for Michael on plenty of occasions too.

  

  Michael and Daniel grew up to be like night and day with different interests, different tastes in clothes, different music preferences, different friends, different values, and completely different personalities. But no matter, they were brothers; a part of each other, and they always loved each other deeply from the heart. Dan is lost in a world without Michael. His heart is broken.



 

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