The Kat House

It’s Self Portrait Challenge time again! I’m late this week, but better late than never!

This photo was taken on April 15, 2006. This is me with my brother Jake on his wedding day.

Out of my three siblings, Jake is the only one I’m close to. It’s funny - we were never close while growing up. Part of that was because of the age difference - he’s eight years younger than me. After I moved out of my parents’ house at age 20, Jake and I barely even talked. At age 27, I got divorced and moved out on my own. I lived by myself for a year, and then I bought a house. I had recently gone back to college, and Jake was getting ready to start college. I called him up one day while moving into the new house, and I asked him if he’d like to move in with me. Considering that he was living my parents at the time, and this would be his first taste of freedom, he said yes. Oh wait - he said hell yes!

Jake lived with me for the next three years. I worked during the day; he worked at night. We both went to school. We watched movies together, we ate dinner together, and we became the best of friends. It was amazing for me to discover all the things we had in common - things I had never before been aware of. It was a terrific three years.

Jake moved out on his own in 2003. He moved two hours away to take a management job in Kingsport. You cannot imagine the loneliness I felt when he was gone. We remained great friends, and he ended up moving back to Knoxville a few months later. He moved to an apartment only a few minutes from me. He lives there still, but now he’s married and has a young baby. Our relationship isn’t as strong as it once was. Family and work responsibilities make it difficult for him to hang out with me. I know that I shouldn’t be upset about that, but I am. I think back to the good old days - watching movies together, discussing our dates with each other - and I am sad. At the same time, I am thankful for the three years we spent becoming not only brother and sister, but also friends.