They thought wrong.

So there I was...a junior in high school, often feeding my brother via his bottle, burping the dude, rocking him to sleep, and yes, changing many of his diapers. Before he was a year old, we discovered the kid loved music. A true Swartzendruber. One song, especially, captivated him. Get this--any time he started crying due to moodiness, we turned to the new wave remedy of Dr. Steve Taylor. If we put Taylor's "This Disco (Used to be a Cute Cathedral)" on the sound system, baby William's eyes widened and the little guy snapped to attention. Worked like a charm...every...time.

That was 21 years before he became my hero. You see, these days I may be more than a few inches taller than William, but the fact is, I look up to the man. A few days ago he completed the greatest achievement I've ever seen anyone in our family or extended family even attempt. After a childhood filled with dreams of serving in the military, "Little Brewski" (as I've affectionately called him for so many years) enlisted with the United States Marines in December. And this past Friday, he graduated from boot camp, and in so doing, simply blew his brother's mind. (I don't mind telling you that my eyes welled with tears a couple times as I watched the graduation ceremonies.)

There are many reasons the Marines are considered the most elite branch of the armed forces. And their boot camps are the stuff of legend. In fact, of every 100 young people who are bold enough to even attempt to become Marines, only 57 make it through basic training.

Yeah, when it comes to discipline and toughness, my little brother dwarfs his "Big Brewski." And did I mention he has a heart of gold? Who knew such a sensitive spirit could take up residence with guts of iron? Sounds . . . biblical.

Another weekend highlight occurred when William told me boot camp had drawn him closer to God. The guy's always had a very genuine approach to his faith, and I love seeing the way it manifests itself in him as an adult.

William and I are a whole lot different, a whole lot the same. While I was raised primarily in the United States, he spent most his childhood overseas with my parents who became missionaries after I entered college. He lived on islands such as Saipan, Guam and Palau and then spent several years in Mongolia. He's already seen much more of the world than most people do in their entire lives. And his adventure is just beginning...

So, you'll pardon me if I sometimes choose to live vicariously through my little brother . . . the United States Marine.

-Jay

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