The Best Man.

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

*Ahem* If I could have your attention please! As Mikey’s best man and older brother, I wanted to say thank you for attending today on behalf of Lindsey and himself. Today we celebrate the true meaning of companionship, adventure, love, happiness, and the amazing journey of two of my favorite people to walk this Earth. 

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I remember when Mom brought Mikey home from the hospital. I was so angry that someone else was about to get all the attention from my parents. “Is Dad going to bring Mikey to the fishing spot instead of me?”. How could this happen? They are going to forget all about me, I kept thinking. But those crazy thoughts switched up quickly after holding him for the first time. His small hands could barely wrap around my finger, and that’s when big-brother mode activated.

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Growing up we were inseparable. From seeing who could hit a farther home run down at the field, to playing 1 on 1 in basketball on our broken hoop, thanks Jake… (Pause) We did everything together. The good ole days. I can finally admit after all these years that Mikey was the better basketball player.. BUT he couldn’t touch me when it came to crushing a baseball! I am not going to lie though. Our competitiveness definitely stuck a couple cords over the years. As all brothers do; we fought. Sometimes a little too much. But in the end we always had each other's back. I would do anything to get back to those times, if only for just a moment. 

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We were different in a lot of ways though. I was always a homebody, change honestly scared me. But not Mikey. Adventure was his middle name. It was always a euphoric feeling getting a postcard from Mikey, explaining the incredible adventure that he was a part of. He did what most people are afraid to do. And that’s get up and leave. I received postcards from China, Thailand, Australia, Europe, Hawaii, you name it and Mikey was there. There’s so much world out there and he took the opportunity to explore it before he grew old. That’s why he will always be an inspiration to me, I truly admire that about him.

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The older we got, the stronger our bond grew. The best thing about only having one brother is that it makes it so much easier to choose your best man! I was so incredibly lucky to have Mikey stand by my side as my lovely Jane walked down the aisle. There is not anyone else I could have imagined standing by me on the most important day of my life, and for that Mikey, I will always thank you. 

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Not too long after my big day, a very special lady stopped Mikey from crossing the street. He wasn’t looking.. As usual… and a bus zoomed by, nearly hitting him. Out of nowhere Mikey's guardian angel pulled him back onto the sidewalk. That amazing girl was Lindsey. When I first met Lindsey, I knew she was the one for Mikey instantly. When they first started dating, he melted every time she came over for Sunday dinner with our parents, he was always a mess. He even.. no kidding.. dropped the entire dish of Mom’s homemade lasagna. (wait for laughter). I’ve never seen him so red. She ran to the kitchen and grabbed a spatula to try and save as much as she could. She stuck by him through and through. That’s the type of girl she is.

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I know that they have true love based on the fact that she didn’t bail on Mikey when the cancer knocked him down. He was never alone in that hospital bed. Being that close to death; alone, was never a part of Lindsey’s agenda for him. She stayed by him day and night. I even saw her scream at a nurse because it was “past visiting hours” but she wasn’t going anywhere. That’s what true love is. Loving something so much more than yourself that you will do anything to avoid the inevitable a little while longer. Like sleeping in a hospital chair for 3 weeks, only leaving to get the nurses assistance for him. That’s the type of love I wish upon my children. 

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You know folks, life has a truly amazing way of surprising us. I remember when I received a call from Mikey around 2 o’clock in the morning one night. I remember saying “Mikey what the hell, it's like 2am, is everything ok?” He just was cracking up on the other side of the phone. “You know the spot where Dad used to take us fishing?” He managed to get out. He then went on for an hour about how when we went one time, he caught about 15 strippers. I remember being so mad that I couldn’t do the same. Years of grudging over it. But he stopped and told me that after that one summer day, whenever he caught one he threw it back in real fast before anyone noticed. He did this to let me be the best fisher as we grew up, after seeing how upset I got. He gave me that. That’s who Mikey was. Selfless, caring, and empathetic. Something I will never forget.

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As the years went on, as you all know, the cancer came and went. Ultimately winning the battle against my little brother. That is what brings us here today. We are not here to grieve and sulk about him leaving us. That’s the last thing Mikey would have wanted. We are here to celebrate the amazing life he had and shared with us. To cherish each memory of Mikey is a blessing. Whether you spoke to him everyday or barely knew him, hold on to those memories with him. He was an angel who God sent to walk the Earth with us. We were so incredibly lucky to have him in our lives. I will always remember our time together Mikey. Your children are being looked after by the strongest woman in the world. We will keep an eye on them and will never, ever let your memory be forgotten. You do not leave anything behind. We pray that you are sitting by a fire with a cold one, watching the Patriots lose. Until we meet again, baby brother. This is not a “goodbye”, but a “See Ya soon”.