This Christmas, Tyler cleaned out his room.
It's not completely empty, but most of his "stuff" is gone. He's getting married soon, and won't be using his old room again once he comes back! It's a little weird, but exciting too.
The night before he left, he gathered some items that he thought some of us would like to keep. I had said goodbye to him that night, so didn't see what he had reserved for me. I woke up the next morning, and outside my door sat a pile of neatly stacked books from my brother.
Now, you have to know something about Tyler. He loves his books. He loves any book, but he treasures his own even more. He was always slightly hesitant to lend his hardback copies in particular, in case someone bent the pages (dog-earing is not acceptable!), or spilled something, or left the book somewhere.
So a stack of books from Tyler to me doesn't just mean he needed a place to store them. He entrusted those books to me. And now I can handle them with much care, just like he did. I promise I won't leave them open on the floor, or eat chocolate while reading (teehee), or let Kaylee sit on my lap while I read. I'll try to be just as nice to these books as Tyler was. They're used to a high standard that I'll need to live up to!
Most of the books he left me are ones that he knows I've read and liked. The others are ones that he thinks I would enjoy. Either way, these books are precious to me, which is why they deserve a special spot right on my windowsill. I want to remember Tyler and the way he cherishes stories and art, and be inspired by the creativity stored inside each one of these books.
It's not completely empty, but most of his "stuff" is gone. He's getting married soon, and won't be using his old room again once he comes back! It's a little weird, but exciting too.
The night before he left, he gathered some items that he thought some of us would like to keep. I had said goodbye to him that night, so didn't see what he had reserved for me. I woke up the next morning, and outside my door sat a pile of neatly stacked books from my brother.
Now, you have to know something about Tyler. He loves his books. He loves any book, but he treasures his own even more. He was always slightly hesitant to lend his hardback copies in particular, in case someone bent the pages (dog-earing is not acceptable!), or spilled something, or left the book somewhere.
So a stack of books from Tyler to me doesn't just mean he needed a place to store them. He entrusted those books to me. And now I can handle them with much care, just like he did. I promise I won't leave them open on the floor, or eat chocolate while reading (teehee), or let Kaylee sit on my lap while I read. I'll try to be just as nice to these books as Tyler was. They're used to a high standard that I'll need to live up to!
Most of the books he left me are ones that he knows I've read and liked. The others are ones that he thinks I would enjoy. Either way, these books are precious to me, which is why they deserve a special spot right on my windowsill. I want to remember Tyler and the way he cherishes stories and art, and be inspired by the creativity stored inside each one of these books.
What a sweet blog post! I loved seeing those books outside your door that next morning, knowing he'd left them for you. What a special gift from your big brother! :)
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