A Tribute To My Brother

So this thing happened today. I get a text from my big brother and it says he needs a favor from me so if I ignore the text for awhile that's ok. How can you not laugh and be intrigued with a text that gets right to the point like that? I text him back right away and told him to call me whenever he wants to. He did and my mind was blown right out of the gate with this favor he's wanting done. Little did he know it ended up being the other way around. 

He asked if I would be willing to be the featured writer for his newsletter in May for mental health awareness month. Now I've never asked his permission to use his name or where he works in my blog so I'm not going to but my big brother has a very important job and has used his talents and position to become one of the biggest mental health advocates you'll ever meet. I guess what I'm trying to say is he has met and works with some of the top professionals in this field and I was the one he wanted to write. See what I mean by him doing me the favor?

I have always said and will keep saying that my family has always been my biggest support system. I haven't always been a good little brother but that's never phased him. He's always been ready with a hug and forgiveness when I snap out of it. He's dealt with me as a nasty drunk, manic with impossible ideas pouring out of my brain, depressed to the point that living seemed harder than dying. Being on meds and off and on and off and on and off and...sorry bipolar joke. Had to be there I guess. My point is I've always idolized my brother but I haven't always shown it. 

So I want to kick ass on this article. I want to show my brother that it was worth all of his energy to not give up on me. I want to make him proud. I want him to feel pride when people read it and say that was my little brother. I want to let him know that I don't take this privilege lightly. I want to thank him for loving me to the point that he makes sure mental health gets its due. 

So this is a long overdue tribute to my big brother. He reminds me so much of our dad and I can't think of a better compliment than that. So big brother I love you, I look up to you, some of which because you're taller than me, and I will forever be in awe of you. Thank you for this opportunity. 

I'm not bipolar-I have bipolar

Ryan M Sullivan