This past weekend we gathered together with my whole family at my parents for the groundbreaking of their new house. Above all, I walked away with a deep sense that we are not as young as we once were. We are by no means old but there are almost more grandchildren(7) than children(10) now. We have health issues, Roth IRA’s and college funds not for ourselves but for our kids. When we get together we spend more time parenting our young brood than goofing off and telling bad jokes (although there is still plenty of that).
When we were kids my brother chase was a bit of a pesterer. Whenever one of us would get in trouble he would say in as loud a voice as possible without getting in trouble himself, “Busted!” But it was the way that he said it that really got under your skin. He would draw out the e in busted so long that it sounded like the most annoying one word song ever written. “Busteeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed!” As if the knowlege of the coming parental punishment wasn’t enough being berated by your little brother and knowing that reacting would only deepen the pile of trouble you were in sent you into mental anguish.
This shirt was made for Chases Bachelor party and when he showed up to the restaurant he was greeted with a chorus of his favorite one word childhood song. The picture was of chase’s face and under Busted is the date of the wedding and some other brotherly ribbing.
My brother Chase and his wife will be married five years this August. Chase now is the proud parent of a handsome little boy with another on the way this fall. Him and his wife, Renae, are an amazing couple that give generously of themselves to everyone. If chase did get “busted” five years ago by getting married, today he is all the better for it.
