It was when Tom went off to college in the summer of 2007 that our experiences intertwined, and the age difference was no longer an obstacle. I was a senior at BYU-Hawaii, and he was a freshman at BYU-Idaho. When he flew to Hawaii for my graduation in 2007 I took him all around the island, and we even got in a little "graduation ghost riding!" Seven months later, in the summer of 2008, Tom and I both found ourselves in Seattle literally "waiting" for our next adventures in life. He was leaving in October for Tijuana, Mexico to serve a mission for two years, and I was expecting, given a week's notice, to take a job overseas. Every week I anticipated the awaited go-ahead from my "to be employer", but that kept getting pushed back every week. Finally, I told Tom that if I hadn't left by October 8th, (his date of departure) I wasn't going to hang around Seattle any longer, I would be on a plane the next day somewhere! But it was in that unexpected two month sojourn in Seattle that Tom and I grew close not just as brothers, but as friends. We did nearly everything together during those two months.
Batting cage showdowns, Mariners games, Washington football games, hanging out with Tom when he was bored at work, nightly Sports Center fixes, the Bellevue singles ward, jumping off our roof into the pool, helping out the missionaries, going through the temple with him, waking up early to show him how "efficient" personal and companionship study is done, our deep gospel chat walking home from church on our last Sunday in the ward, video taping ourselves doing ridiculous things and then spending an hour editing it and showing it to mom and dad, dressing up like thugs and doing the ‘Get Money Home Workout’ with cinder blocks, tree stumps, and whatever we could find laying around the house, reading scriptures at 2 AM sharing some of our favorite verses through the paper-thin walls, doing home-run derbies with the four softballs and two sorry excuses for baseballs at the elementary school, hiking little Si, the lengthy conversation about the struggle of Islam in today’s world after watching ‘Traitor’ at Lincoln Square, playing Softball at Robinswood with the singles ward as the Perry brothers showed them how it was done, watching ‘We are Marshall’, then getting so amped that we went outside and starting creating unheard of pass routes, playing pickle ball so much that it caused Tom to arrive to work late almost every day, and the humilty I learned as a result of him spanking me nearly everytime in the sport!
We always played ball growing up, but it was very different. I was more of a coach to Tom than a brother. After his games I would critique (usually constructively) his play in the game and go over how to improve for his next football, baseball or basketball game. I have moved around a lot, and have made a few friends along the way, but as the years pass, I am guessing that only a small number will remain friends for life. It’s a sweet deal when one of your family members is your good friend, because you have that permanent connection.
I didn't expect to get emotional when I saw Tom off at his gate headed for SLC. It wasn't until I put my arm around his shoulder and walked away from the crowds that a whole army of tears escaped from the corners of my eyes as I told him that I loved him, and that he was more than just blood, he had become one of my best friends. Tom looked at me, tears dripping from his face, and said some things to me that I will never forget. The kid is on the ball. And he understands the significance of his calling. I miss that. The two years I spent in Brazil changed my life. I'm sure his two years in Mexico will serve as the launching pad for all of his future achievements and successes in life. He is going to be a powerhouse.
