Is this on? I mean, I can break through walls, I just can't... can't get this on. *

I absolutely love my brother-in-law.

Of course, it's easy to love someone who loves you back. So if you will indulge me, I'm going to just go off on him. Please understand that while I love writing, I'm horrible with writing about my life and about people in my life. Reality has never been my best subject. If I can't exaggerate or insert half truths or all out lies I lack in my ability to express myself. I don't know what it is, but it is. So this may not be well written, I may not be able to describe how I really feel, but just know that I have an overwhelming gratitude for him.

My brother-in-law is one of the few people who can bring me to tears, not in a bad way, but more because of my appreciation for him, because he never ceases to amaze me with how much he cares about me. Sometimes I think it's easy for me to forget that people care about me, even my family, and they have to care about me (not really, but I'm super glad that they do).

He gets angry when someone hurts me, he'll go through and edit a book he wants me to read, he calls me up to invite me to dinner, he'll mow my lawn without me asking, or risk life and limb to spray wasp killer into a hole in the ground. He's thrown in compliments here and there and helps to build me up, especially when I am having a hard time. He bought me a book on writing and a penguin (I love penguins) pillow pet (both gifts made me almost cry...okay, one of them really did, but in my defense I had had a really stressful day*). He loves my family - but of course, who couldn't love my family? And seems to go above and beyond (see below). He's just plain thoughtful folks...there, I said it, the cat's out of the bag, my BIL is thoughtful.

And that doesn't make him any less of a man.

All of that makes it okay that his life's goal seems to be to make me uncomfortable with winks and the kissy faces, but then I see him do the same thing to his brother and I know that I am really family and that makes me feel really special*. Besides, it makes it really difficult for anyone or anything to really make me uncomfortable.

It's like he has prepared me for the real world in some strange and twisted way.

I'm so grateful for him and I'm glad he knew what was best for him and married my beautiful sister and joined our family. I don't know what my life would be like without him and his little clan.