Off to see the Wizard

I'll admit there have been times in my life that I wished my 'little' brother would move to Australia.

One of those times was when a very pretty and popular girl in high school befriended the awkward and badly permed me for a day or two and then dumped me like a hot potato when I told her I would not 'put in a good word' for her with my very handsome and popular class president of a brother.

I would also have seen him put on a boat for Oz pretty much every time someone would say, "You're Ian's sister? Oh, he's so awesome!". Yeah. I know.

I think so, too. We went to the same college after university, we were roommates for a year when we both lived in Toronto. I stood up with him at his wedding. I didn't have a maid of honour at my wedding; I had my brothers as my 'men of honour'. It's safe to say we've been pretty close over the years.

Thanks to his wife and kids, I'm healthier and happier, too, having been inspired by them to become a runner.

But my brother and his family spent their last night in their house last night, and are in a hotel for the next week and a half while they prepare for the big move down under. After the 11th, when we drive them to the airport for the flight to Brisbane, there will be no spontaneous trips to see the kids, no March Break with Gramma, no Easter dinner, no Birthday get-togethers, no watching the kids whip around the farm on the lawn tractor. No more four year old asking within seconds of seeing me, 'Can I play on your iPod?' She's getting really good at Cut the Rope.

I want to be excited for them. I am excited for them. Living on another continent, what an adventure! I'm also really proud that my sister in law is so good at what she does that she's been headhunted into the big job that takes them all the way around the world.

It's just...I'm sad for me. I'm going to miss them terribly.

I'm sad for my mom, too. These are the only grandkids she's going to get, and starting in 10 days, her only way to see them will be on a computer monitor. A computer she hasn't yet figured out how to use.
And speaking of adventures...