My Brother's 40th Birthday

Paul Allen Jacobson, 7-3-1969


If the dictionary had a picture of the word "cool" next to it, it would be of my brother, Paul. Today, my brother turns 40. My first correspondence with any soul this very day was with him. He text pretty early this morning, "I don't feel like 40." I text back (being 3 years older than him), "You will in a few years!" Silence went by. I text again, "The good news is, we don't LOOK like we are in our forties!" He text, "True that!" I text again, "...and even better, we don't ACT like we are in our forties...heehee!" He really liked that.

I love my brother. He is about 6'2". I LOVE his generously given, enormous bear hugs (so does everyone else)! He is a very wise, extremely intelligent, very cool, wonderfully witty, unconditionally loyal, loving, simple living, caring individual. He makes everyone laugh with his witticisms. He measures his life not by the things he has acquired but by the richness of the relationships he has acquired. He loves Jesus, family and extended family, old Cub Cadet lawn mowers, ham on Easter, good conversations, Snyders of Hanover potato chips, staying up late on Christmas holiday, old Volkswagens, mechanic work, his wife and daughter, classic rock, and a few beers. He never misses a holiday or a birthday, whether acknowledging by phone or card (I tease him that he should have been the girl of the family). He calls mom more than I do. Occasionally, he can skillfully season his sentences with expletives, like a Top Chef with exotic spices. He has grown his hair twice to sell to "Locks of Love." He has a snake tattoo on his upper left arm. He has the most gorgeous, kind, blue eyes you have ever seen. He is a good, good, good man. I don't say that very often now that I have been jaded by 40 plus years.

Recently, he willingly undertook the job of rebuilding the engine of an old, OLD Cub Cadet that has faithfully cut my grass for several years. When I asked him if it was worth it, he said, "Tam, they don't make them like they used to! You have to rebuild. You have the Cadillac of Cub Cadets there!" So, now, out of the goodness of his heart, he is rebuilding the engine free of charge just because he loves me. He does that because I know he will do whatever he can, even being over 450 miles away, to help me.

Paul, you are the Cadillac of human beings. They don't make them like they used to!!! Here's to you!!! Happy 40th Birthday! I love being your big sister!