My oldest brother, Phoenix, graduates from Shawnee Heights High School this weekend. Then, just a few days after he graduates he heads to Camp Barnabas to work the whole summer. We are all excited for him, but it is sad that this is his last week in the house. It makes me wonder if my 3 year old brothers will really ever remember living with him. Or the times Phoenix would play and wrestle around with them.
Phoenix with Louie in Florida in 2015.
He ought to have a pretty busy and exciting summer. Camp Barnabas is in southern Missouri and provides a great camp experience for people with special needs and their siblings. When Phoenix was 10 and Bronze 7, mom and dad took them to visit the camp because the teens from our church were working there that week. Even though they wouldn’t be old enough to work there for a few years, mom and dad said my brothers always talked about how much they were looking forward to it. Phoenix has served there for the past four years, but this is the first time he is actually working for the camp. Check out this Camp Barnabas promo video and their website too.
Phoenix at Barnabas in 2015 with his two campers
And with his camper in 2016.
Phoenix will get break in the summer and during that time he will join the rest of the family as we go on vacation. Then at the end of summer, he will only have about 10 days at home before he moves just south of Branson, Missouri to Hollister to attend College of the Ozarks. Jacob, his friend from church, will be his roommate. I guess from the way my parents go on and on about it, the college is a great opportunity for my brother. Only about 1 in 10 applicants get accepted to the school. They do something called a work-study program where Phoenix will work on campus and have a chance to graduate debt free. He also has opportunities each summer to go on foreign missions trips too. Check out their website.
With his college roommate Jacob
Bronze and Phoenix on Beale St. in Memphis
Brothers forever
Bronze will certainly miss his best friend. My parents say these two have been virtually inseparable since Bronze was born… mostly because Bronze would never let that happen. They have always shared a room and do nearly everything together.
They liked making videos together when they were younger, like this one. They always hated the ending that dad made them do, but we still stay “brothers forever” to this day.
Mom with Phoenix when he was about 6 months old.
Mom says she will miss those times when all us young boys were in bed sleeping and Phoenix would stay up late and talk with her, Bronze and dad. Also, she said he always had a sense of when things were getting overwhelming for her. During such times he often would take us little ones to the other room to play with us or be a mediator.
Phoenix with dad at summer camp around 2002.
Don’t even get dad talking about Phoenix moving away. He starts quoting the Beatles song “Blackbird”… “All your life… You were only waiting for this moment to arise. Blackbird fly. Blackbird fly” Then before he gets choked up and buries his head in his hands dad will say something about his original “little buddy”. I think there will be a lot of tears this week.
Here is Phoenix and me in Florida over Christmas break this year. I think I will really miss him playing card games with me. He’s my buddy. Even though he will only be about 4 hours away, I will really miss him.
This is when Phoenix won King of Courts this past year.
(written from Journey’s perspective by dad…but partially typed by Journey)
Eight's Enough 