My youngest brother is developmentally disabled. He turns 32 next week. He is, by and large, a kind and optimistic soul. But he's having a hard time right now. My mom has had some health problems (cataract surgery, heart problems), and I think it has taken a toll on him. He was recently fired from his job for losing his temper at work. He gets very frustrated when he can't express himself the way he would like.

I remember once, though, when he was younger when he didn't have any trouble saying what he meant. He was a lot younger then, 11 or 12. We were all getting ready to go to church on a Sunday morning. I was in front of the mirror putting on my makeup when Ben came into the bathroom and said "You are the most beautiful sister in the world." I gave him a hug and just glowed inside until I heard from my younger sister's room "you are the most beautiful sister in the world." And then from my other brother's room, "You are the most beautiful brother in the world." And then, finally, from my mother's room, "you are the most beautiful mother in the world." It would have been nice if that compliment had been meant for only me, but it is even nicer to have someone in my life who sees everyone as beautiful.