He's My Brother

When I was 5 years old, I asked my parents for a sibling. I was tired of being an only child. I was very imaginative and very good at entertaining myself, but I wanted a playmate, someone to share adventures with!

My parents promptly told me that I was "Enough," which was said with an exhausted, sardonic weariness.

Luckily, 5 years later, they changed their minds and gave birth to my brother, Sean. He was the most incredible being I'd ever encountered, and I adored him instantly! He could have wrapped me around his little finger, but luckily (again, notice all the good fortune here?) he was such a cool kid that he just seemed happy to snooze in his blankie or gaze at me and smile.

He was, and still is, my best bud. :)

Within a year, he was already dancing to Kenny Rogers, who was my mom's favorite singer at the time, but I made sure to dig out my parents old Beatles records and give him some real tunes to groove to!

Little did I know that, a few decades later, he'd bring The Beatles back to me, as well as remind me of other great musicians like Stevie Wonder, Pink Floyd, and countless other rock n rollers.

See, my brother, Sean, is a drummer. He's a major music delver, always searching for something to tickle his brain, heart, and soul.

I remember the first time I watched him on drumset. It was like watching Jackson Pollock paint. It was that magical.

And it's still a delight to watch him play, to hear him make music. He's played with a few different LA bands like Smug, The Wild Complete, and various others, but my all-time favorite is Hippie Cream.

Most of the members reside in our hometown of Hemet, but they've played all over southern CA, and they have a feature film coming out in June based on the concept album, Marty's Magnificent Day-Glo Dreamathon. I play Marty's dream-mom, and it was a thrill to be a part of it.

So why am I telling you about my brother today? It's his birthday! And as I always tell him: he was the gift to me the day he was born.

I love you, little bro! Happy Birthday!