Bawitdaba

This entry will be a unique one, as well. I am going to focus solely on one person. I obtained his permission to use his name and add him to my story and I'm so incredibly excited and honored to write this entry.

Brad McDonald is my big brother. His journey has not been the easiest, we'll just say that. He beat cancer as a child... Twice. He's had to fight for his life on many occasions, enduring things that most people (fortunately) will never have to experience. This guy is a hero in my eyes.

So... Brad McDonald and 2017... Why is it important to acknowledge him NOW? I mean, he's been my brother my whole life, so why is it this year that I choose to write a piece about him? As you can imagine, I will tell you...

Brad & I had to endure one of the most painful experiences (emotionally) of our lives together on January 25, 2017. You can refer to my Day 2 entry for further details if you haven't read about it. For those of you who have not, it was the day we lost Dillman Ash, the staple of the Ash side of our family. And the father of our mother who we also lost in 1984. That type of experience, that type of pain, bonds people... Or it should. Fortunately, in our case, it did. I can't speak for him, but I never expected to have to help plan a funeral for my grandpa or deal with managing his unattended affairs. That type of shit can tear a family apart! And it's something Brad & I discussed through the whole experience. Regardless of what happened or how, we wanted to maintain our relationship. I think it was important that we vocalized that from the beginning. Having our expectations verbalized from the start helped make them become a reality. Our grandpa, by sheer definition, was a saint. If our relationship would have suffered because of his passing, we would have been doing an incredible disservice to one of the greatest people that walked this planet. And WE got to call him Grandpa!

                     

To honor the man we got to call Grandpa, Brad & I did something that was so incredibly meaningful to me. We got a permanent piece of him tattooed on our skin in his memory. While I certainly love tattoos and that is no secret, this one will have a very special place in my heart because I actually got to experience it with my brother. We sat by each other's side as the other got tattooed (which was sort of necessary as our artist was not really a conversationalist & I don't know if you know Brad, but... He's a talker). ALL of my tattoos mean something to me, but this one goes a little deeper because of who I was with and that we got the same symbol (his brand) representing our grandfather. Forever, I can look down at my wrist and see my piece and not only will I think of Grandpa... I will think of Brad and the bond that grew bigger in that moment.

      

                     

Grandpa was a very prepared man in nearly all areas of his life. He often spoke to us about how he wanted things divided after he was no longer on this earth, even when I asked him not to (because I didn't want to think about that). Because our mother passed away, Brad & I inherited what she would have. So we are now landowners. It makes you really value things from a different perspective. Even in death, he continues to pull us closer together. The following photos were taken on a walk in late June on some of my land. I'm confident Mom and Grandpa were coming through loud and clear in each photo.

                            

As I've stated many times, this journey of mine in 2017 is about me becoming a healthier and happier version of myself. To maintain success, I need people in my corner to support me. I know that it's up to ME to make the choices, but having a positive support system is absolutely essential to continued success. This year, one of my biggest supporters has been Brad. He seems to know exactly what to say when I need to hear it. And he's not afraid to tell me something I don't want to hear. He's not afraid to tell me the truth even if it hurts a bit at the beginning. And one of my FAVORITE things about Brad is that he's just a blunt person. He's not afraid to speak his mind. And he's loyal. I can talk to him about anything, good and bad, and if someone is hurting me or making me feel like less of a person, he is ALWAYS willing to be the first in line to defend me. His loyalty is evident and again, vocalized. That's something that I have always treasured about him, but this year has added a new dimension. 

The following two pictures were at my awards recognition ceremony in May. He came up to support me in my academic affairs and took me out for supper afterwards. I'll let you decide which picture is more appropriate to who his is as a person... (Hint: it's not the top one)

It is NO secret that I love my Kansas City Chiefs. I am fortunate that my big brother shares that passion. I have had season tickets for a few years now and Brad just secured a set for this season. I LOVE going to games with him. I'm not a dummy when it comes to football. I know quite a bit for a "girl," but my big brother is a referee and knows his shit when it comes to calls. If I have a question about the validity of a call, I can ask him and, as in all of his life, he's honest... Even if it means the Chiefs get ANOTHER penalty. On the flip side, when he starts to yell or complain about a call, I know the ref messed up because he would never disrespect another referee. We've spent many games on the sidelines of Arrowhead pregame festivities and it's been some of the best memories ever! Travis Kelce came and stood between us while holding the flag for the National Anthem once! I was swooning and Brad was trying to start a conversation, haha!

Another thing that I admire incredibly about my big brother is that he is so unafraid to go after anything that he wants. He won't hesitate to walk up to anyone and start a conversation. Once, as we were walking off the field at Arrowhead after the flag holding, he simply walked up to Dustin Colquitt (his favorite player) and shook his hand wishing him good luck. He's got guts and I admire that. So in 2017, I've tried to use him as a model for going after the things that I want without fear or reservation. What's the worst that could happen? Trust me, there are far worse things out there to worry about! Just go for what you want and own it. That's something Brad has helped me in attaining.

Top picture is me, obviously passionate about my team, with big brother fixing to head to Arrowhead for the final game of that season. He was initially a little embarrassed about my car, but then saw the responses from other fans and approved. Because... Duh. The one on the bottom was taken at midfield of Arrowhead Stadium (the same day Kelce stood between us). Shortly after we snapped this, we were reprimanded for not doing "our job" in putting the flag together. Without missing a beat, Brad just jumped into the conversation and in his Brad way, educated the girl that was reprimanding us that the flag was supposed to be put together before we got there. So we went from getting "in trouble" to having her apologize to us. Haha! That's what Brad is all about! And I love it! Quick on his feet!

So, clearly I have not referenced the title of the entry yet. Does it make sense? HaHa! I reached out to Brad for suggestions and this comes from him. When the defense comes on the field, Bawitdaba hits the crowd and sends chills through the spine! Defense is when the stadium is at its loudest, obviously, and gives me goosebumps just thinking about it! Can't wait to get there this season! At any rate, there is no set of lyrics that I am going to reference because let's be real, there aren't any applicable to a "life lesson." It's more about the meaning for Brad and I. 

My rockstar brother, y'all!