Distant Family

My little brother was shipped off to Iraq last Friday. It really sucks because his birthday was on July 15th. We are not very close. He is two years younger than me and we grew up together. Around the time I was in middle school, our relationship became more distant. I know this time is very hard on my mother. She lives miles away. My father died a few years ago and now both of her sons are far away from her. I talked to her for the first time in a week over the phone and she says she drove all the way to North Carolina to see my brother prepare for deployment. She said she was fine until she saw the body armor. I don't know what that is supposed to mean. I hope she didn't pass out, but I can imagine she cried very hard. I am going to work on tightening my relationship with my mom. I could call her more than I do. Also, we need to go on a vacation together. She is a busy lady. She is a supervior for 911 dispatchers and is going to school for certification stuff. She is also very active in church. She loves the Woman's Ministry. She is the sweetest person I know. She is the only person wouldn't hesitate to die for if push comes to shove. I love my mother.