Brother

He was born March 27, 1959. My maternal grandfather had just died and I remember my dad saying that it seemed that when one member of the family dies, in God’s kindness he adds another person through birth. I have found that true in many cases in my life. But no one could or has replaced my brother, Ricky. But several of my kids remind me of him; in the way they are built, in the way they walk, in their smile. And everyone of them loved him deeply. Every year I feel compelled to draw him. This is my latest painting. I thought it was a different image of him, more active than most of the pictures in my collection. It says a lot about who he is.