I'm Getting Older, Too

This past saturday my little brother Nick moved to Ft. Benning, GA, to begin his career as an active duty Army officer.
Just for reference, this is the same guy who once geared up to defend himself from his older brothers using a Wiffle Ball Bat and Milwakee Brewers baseball cap, making for the best baby picture ever. He was like 4.
Now he is a second Lieutenant, training to be an infantry officer and eventual Army Ranger. I could write a long post about all the things that this means to him, to his family, and especially to me (as this is my blog and consequently my perspective). But I'll just say that I am both scared and proud.
That combination of emotions has been pretty common with my friends and family as of late. Liz and Josh are moving from the good old Birmingham to Washington, D.C. Peeg and Stacy live in Japan! Will and Meghan have a beautiful son. My dad is back to his globe-hopping ways. All of these things make me immensely happy and intensely aware of getting older. Not older as in sign me up for the early bird special, just older. I am 25 now with a real job (I teach college!), and all of my siblings are moving on up in the adult world, too. Danni is a reporter and has a baby for goodness sake (Maddox isn't too bad, either :). Sometimes I wish we could all go back to the days of Tennis Racket Wars in the rain and football games at Sacred Heart and Goofy movies with Pizza and Chocolate Milk on friday nights. But then I think about the awesome things we are all doing now and can't imagine it any other way.
I helped Nick move on friday; in two weeks I'm helping Liz and Josh move. Three weeks after that I am moving. The times, they are a changin'. But it seems that its always for the good.

I hope everyone is well.
Peace,
Joe