My Biggest Fan

I am one of those really lucky people who has someone in my life that has always been my biggest fan. No matter what I did, my brother has always been there to tell me, "You can do it" or "Great job".. There were many times that I wasn't sure I could do it and I have a tendency to doubt myself a bit but his words helped me in so many ways. I am pretty sure he doesn't even know how much his encouraging words helped me to do really hard things. I was able to tackle some of the steepest hills on the ski slopes, telemark through the trees, run on some really hard trails, finish an Ironman and, last but not least, start writing again. Of all these activities, you may think writing doesn't sound like such a hard thing but it took a lot of encouraging words from someone who has always believed in me to get me to sit down and start to write this blog. Don't get me wrong, I have always loved to write. From the time I was really small, I was always writing poems and stories and entering writing contests and even winning those contests. When I got to college, it was a natural fit for me to enroll in some writing classes. This was the beginning of the end of my writing. I had a teacher who did nothing but criticize my writing abilities and for some reason, I listened to him and began to really doubt that I had any talent at all. So, I stopped writing. I graduated with my degree in English and started my career in.....sales! I did have the joy of teaching my children grammar skills and helped them go on to become great writers but I didn't do much writing of my own. And then after many, many years, my brother Ron encouraged me to start writing again. His belief in me meant so much to me and because of his encouragement, I started this blog. He has been my only faithful follower... my biggest fan. But the funny thing is, that was enough for me. Just knowing he was reading my blog kept me writing it. The input he has given me means the world to me and makes me want to get better and to write more...and best of all, I have been reminded how much I love to write. So, to my biggest fan, my really good friend and my big brother, I want to say Thank you. Thank you for all the happy memories we have created together and there are many. Thank you for finding the positive in difficult situations. Thank you for loving my children and for being truly interested in their lives and supporting them in so many of their activities. Thank you for encouraging me and believing in me and for loving me in spite of my many weaknesses. Thank you for making me want to be a better person because of the amazing person you are. Most of all, thank you for being the best big brother a girl could ask for. I love you Ron, more than any written word can express.